THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 

Mrs.  Ben  B.  Lindsey 


x=3i 


JIM  MILLER'S  GIRLS 


Jim  Miller's  Girls 

by 
LEWIS   ERWIN  FINNEY 


Author  of 
'DAN'S    MINISTRY' 


Boston 
THE   ROXBURGH   PUBLISHING   COMPANY,    INC. 


Copyrighted  1914 

By  Lewis  Erwin  Finney. 

All  Rights  Reserved. 


•PS 


To  My  Wife, 

Who  has  made  my  work  for 

the  uplift  of  men 

possible. 


iiosiss 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

I.  Water-Nymphs  at  Play. 

II.  The  Survival  of  the  Fittest. 

III.  Two  June  Brides. 

IV.  The  Summer  Passes. 
V.  Gathering  Clouds. 

VI.  In  the  Valley  of  Shadows. 

VII.  Dixie  Miller. 

VIII.  Little  Jim. 

IX.  Allie's  Release. 

X.  A  Startling  Revelation. 

XL  Dixie's  Promise. 

XII.  The  Price  Maury  Paid. 

XIII.  John  Patterson. 

XIV.  An  Old  Clipping. 
XV.  The  First  Campaign. 

XVI.  The  House  of  Healing. 

XVII.  Drury  Patterson,  M.  D. 

XVIII.  A  Ray  of  Light!  for  Drury. 

XIX.  "Not  Until  I  Find  Out." 

XX.  The  Second  Campaign. 

XXI.  Jack  Miller's  Love. 

XXII.  New  Wine  in  Old  Bottles. 

XXIII.  The  Cyclone. 

XXIV.  Mrs.  Patterson's  Journal. 
XXV.  Drury's  Quest. 

XXVI.  Realized  Dreams. 

XXVII.  Jim  Miller's  Revenge. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WATER-NYMPHS    AT    PLAY. 

It  was  early  morning,  and  nature  was  just 
waking  up  to  greet  the  sun,  which  was  threat- 
ening to  make  his  appearance  over  the  eastern 
hilltops.  A  squirrel  was  chattering  in  a  pecan- 
tree,  and  a  mocking-  bird,  which  had  been  singing 
to  his  mate  all  night,  was  making  the  grove 
across  the  creek  ring  with  his  wondrous  melody. 
More  than  a  mile  away,  on  an  eminence  to  the 
northwest,  the  big,  deep-toned  bell  in  the  tower 
of  the  Convent,  Villa  Maria,  was  calling  the 
students  to  early  mass,  and  the  distance  so 
softened  and  mellowed  the  tones  that  they  fitted 
harmoniously  into  the  music  of  the  beautiful 
morning. 

The  Miller  twins  had  returned  from  an  Eastern 
college  a  year  before,  with  "notions  in  dey 
haids,"  as  old  Rilla,  their  negro  nurse,  had  de- 
clared ;  and  one  of  these  notions  had  been  a  bath- 
house at  the  big  spring,  which  came  boiling  up 
through  the  white  sand  on  their  father's  ranch. 
The  water  was  the  same  temperature  the  year 
around,  and  the  girls  had  never  failed  to  take 
their  refreshing  morning  bath,  even  on  the  few 
mornings  there  had  been  ice  in  the  creek.  They 
were  in  the'water  now,  and  Rilla  was  sitting  on 
the  steps  watching  them. 

"I  declar'  ter  goodness,"  Rilla  exclaimed,  "ef 
y'all  could  only  see  how  lubly  an'  beautiful  you 
are  in  that  cl'ar  watah,  Y'all  would  jes'  have 


10  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

spells  an'  spells.  Y'all  'minds  me  o'  that  paintin' 
what  Mis'  Clarissa  made  an'  calls  it  'Water- 
Nimfses.'  But,  da'lin's,  ain't  that  watah  too  col'? 
I  knows  I'd  freeze  to  def  ef  I  was  to  stick  jes' 
one  foot  in  dar.  Y'all  makes  me  hab  a  chill  jes' 
a  watchin'  you." 

"Why,  Mammy,  you  make  that  same  speech, 
and  ask  that  same  question,  every  time  we  come 
down  here.  You  have  been  attending  us  at  our 
morning  baths  for  nearly  a  year,  and  you  always 
ask,  'Ain't  it  col'?'  No,  we  are  used  to  it,  and 
would  not  miss  it  for  anything,"  Jessie  replied. 

"And  you  think  we  are  'perfec'ly  lubly  and 
beautiful"  in  the  water,  do  you,  Mammy?"  Allie 
asked. 

"Deed  I  does,  baby-chile.  That  watah  is  so 
cl'ar  I  kin  see  the  seams  in  y'all's  bathin'-suits, 
and  the  stitches  in  yo'  hoses.  Ef  y'all  was  to 
drap  a  pin  in  thar,  I  could  see  it  from  he-er." 

"O  then  it  is  the  water  that  is  so  lovely  and 
beautiful,  instead  of  us,  is  it?" 

"Go  'long  now,  Miss  Allie.  You  allus  is  a 
catchin'  up  yo'  po'  black  mammy  that  a  way.  You 
knows  I  neber  did  see  no  one  in  all  the  whole 
world  as  purty  as  my  baby  twins.  You  is  jes' 
fishin'  fer  a  complement,  ain't  she,  Miss  Jessie?" 

But  Jessie's  gossamer-clad  head  was  under  the 
water,  and  she  could  not  hear  the  question  that 
clearly  revealed  the  black  nurse's  favorite. 

It  was  an  inspiring  picture  that  left  nothing 
wanting  to  satisfy  the  heart  of  artist  or  poet. 
The  time  and  the  season,  the  place  \and  its 
wooded  environment,  the  soft  morning  light  and 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  11 

the  chatter  of  the  birds,  the  two  white  girls  in 
the  water  and  the  black  woman  on  the  steps,  the 
fading  shadows  and  the  rippling  waves,  combined 
to  lavish  the  participants  with  health  and  beauty, 
and  leave  memories  that  time  could  hot  erase. 

An  onlooker  would  have  been  forced  to  pro- 
phesy that  nothing  but  happiness  could  ever 
come  to  the  twins 

As  the  two  young  ladies  came  dripping  up  the 
steps  to  their  dressing-rooms,  Rilla  began  again: 
"I  declar'  ter  goodness,  y'all  is  gettin'  purtier 
every  day;  and  I  jes'  kain't  onderstand  how  'tis 
you  is  so  healthy  with  all  this  foolishness  o' 
jumpin'  into  col'  watah  in  the  early  mawnin,' 
when  the  balance  of  the  white  folks  is  still  in 
they  beds." 

"Hurry,  Mammy.  It  isn't  the  plunge  that  in- 
jures one's  health;  it  is  being  slow  about  getting 
into  warm  garments  afterward." 

"I  is  hurryin',  Miss  Jessie,  yessum;  but  I  jes' 
must  talk  whilst  I  works ;  I  kin  work  better 
when  I  is  talkin'  or  singin'.  Thar,  now.  Come 
along,  Miss  Allie,  honey,  an'  lemme  he'p  y'all. 
Lawdy!  but  my  babies  shore  is  purty,  outen  the 
watah  as  well  as  in  it.  Umph !  No  wonder  to 
me  Marse  Jim  is  so  foolish  about  his  twins." 

The  old  negro  had  been  in  the  Miller  family 
all  her  life,  having  come  with  them  from  Ken- 
tucky, and  she  was  so  thoroughly  devoted  to 
each  of  them  that  there  was  no  offense  in  her 
familiar  talk;  indeed,  it  was  the  devotion  of  a 
voluntary  slave  who  would  rather  serve  them 
than  have  a  mansion  and  servants  of  her  own. 


12  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

As  the  young  ladies  left  the  stone  bath-house, 
the  sun  was  tinting  the  clouds  a  beautiful  roseate, 
and  the  dewdrops  were  catching  the  light  and 
reflecting  it  like  myriads  of  diamonds  along  the 
pathway.  Again,  the  distant  bell  at  Villa  Maria 
was  intoning  its  music,  the  mocking-bird  had 
ceased  to  sing;  but  the  laughter  of  children 
floated  across  the  fields  from  the  near-by  town, 
where  they  were  finding  colored  eggs  in  the  wet 
grass,  for  it  was  Easter  morning. 

As  they  approached  the  big  house  that  was 
near  enough  to  the  city  to  be  called  a  suburban 
residence,  a  lusty  boy,  freckled,  and  almost  red- 
haired,  came  bounding  down  the  path,  barefooted 
and  bare-headed. 

"Hello,  Jack,"  called  Jessie.  "Where  are  you 
going  with  that  bathing-suit  this  time  of  day?" 

"I  am  going  to  try  your  plan  of  ducking  my- 
self every  morning  to  see  if  it  will  make  me 
stronger  and  healthier,  as  it  has  you  girls." 

"Well,  I  never!"  Allie  exclaimed.  "Only  yes- 
terday, you  were  making  fun  of  us  for  riding 
this  hobby,  and  here  you  are  trying  to  push  us 
off  so  you  can  ride  yourself !" 

"Jes'  as  I  told  you,"  grumbled  old  Rilla;  "it's 
ketchin'.  Why,  fust  thing  we  know,  little  Dixie 
will  be  takin'  up  with  it,  an'  who  knows  whar  it 
will  end !  But  go  on,  go  on ;  ef  y'all  like  it,  I 
reckon  I  kin  stand  it." 

But  Jack  was  running  down  the  path  with  a 
jolly  laugh  that  made  the  glorious  morning  even 
brighter  as  the  twins  looked  after  him.  He  was 
their  only  brother,  and  the  baby  of  the  family, 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  13 

and  was  idolized  by  every  member  of  the  house- 
hold, as  well  as  by  the  servants  on  the  ranch. 

While  they  still  stood  looking  after  the  fast 
disappearing  red-brown  head  of  the  boy,  a  man's 
voice  called  from  an  upper  balcony:  "Good 
morning,  kids.  How's  the  bathing  this  morn- 
ing?" 

"Perfectly  delightful,  Father,  dear,"  replied 
Jessie. 

"Better  go  and  try  for  yourself,"  Allie  bantered. 

"No,  thank  you,  I  will  take  your  word  for  it, 
babies,  I  suspect  I  was  bathed  too  much  when 
I  was  a  child,  as  I  have  never  liked  the  water 
since.  Hi,  there,  Sam!"  he  broke  off,  looking 
toward  the  barn.  "What  are  you  doing?" 

"Fse  tryin'  to  ketch  this  runty  pig  what  you 
tol'  me  to  'spose  of,  Marse  Jim." 

"Don't  you  know  this  is  Sunday,  you  black 
scamp?  I  told  you  to  do  that  yesterday.  Just 
let  it  alone  today,  and  you  had  better  look  spry, 
or  I'll  make  you  go  to  the  ranch,  and  give  Steve 
your  place  at  the  barn." 

"Why,  Daddy,  are  you  going  to  have  him  kill 
a  little  pig  just  because  it  happens  to  be  smaller 
than  its  mates?"  asked  Allie,  in  alarm. 

"No,  baby,  I  have  no  idea  he  will  kill  it;  he 
will  likely  sell  it  to  some  shiftless  negro  in  town. 
But  I  will  not  allow  it  to  stay  on  the  ranch. 
This  is  one,  place  where  we  really  practice  the 
doctrine  of  the  'survival  of  the  fittest.'  But  run 
along  now  and  get  ready  for  breakfast;  your 
mother  wants  to  get  an  early  start,  so  we  can 


14  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

drive  over  and  put  some  flowers  on  your  grand- 
parents' graves  before  going  to  church." 

All  this  time,  Rilla  had  been  standing  at  a  re- 
spectful distance,  muttering  to  herself:  "Now 
jes'  look  at  them  twins!  I  never  did  see  twins 
look  so  much  onlike  afore.  Miss  Jessie  is  'Night,' 
and  Miss  Allie  is  'Mornin','  when  you  looks  at 
'em;  but,  when  you  knows  'em,  they  is  both 
sunshine  an'  lily-buds,  even  ef  I  does  lub  Miss 
Jessie  the  bes'.  But  whyso  shouldn't  I,  seein' 
she  is  the  very  picter  of  good  ol'  Mistus  what's 
a  sleepin'  in  the  col,'  col'  ground  out  yonder  in 
the  simitry !  They  is  both  angels ;  that's  what 
they  is,  and  they  is  too  good  to  be  thinkin'  o' 
marryin'  the  po'  white  trash  what  is  a  comin'  to 
see  'em.  I  don't  know  what  Marse  Jim  an'  Mis' 
Mollie  can  be  a  thinkin'  'bout  to  'low  them  po' 
honies  to  go  mixin'  up  with  their  onequals.  I 
knows  what  I  knows,  umph-umph,  an'  that  Mis- 
tah  Tallman  ain't  fitten  for  Miss  Jessie  to  wipe 
her  little  shoes  on,  ef  she  on'y  knowed  it.  An* 
that  Mistah  Wright  makes  me  think  o'  them  men 
figgers  they  got  in  the  winders  o'  that  big  store 
in  town.  An'  him  a  lettin'  on  he  cum  down  here 
to  buy  hosses !  No,  sir,  he  cum  to  carry  Miss 
Allie  off  with  him,  an'  he  ain't  any  mo'  fitten 
than  Mistah  Tallman." 

As  the  twins  went  up  the  stairs,  Dixie,  stand- 
ing at  the  top,  saw  the  sunlight  fall  on  Allie's 
hair  as  the  latter  passed  the  window  at  the  land- 
ing, and  called:  "Wait,  Allie!  O  step  back  by 
that  window.  There.  Come  up  here,  Jessie,  and 
look  at  it.  Isn't  it  the  most  beautiful  hair  in  the 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  15 

world?  The  sun  makes  the  bronze  coils  look  al- 
most red.  Isn't  it  beautiful !" 

"Yes,  Dixie,  almost  as  beautiful  as  your  wealth 
of  jet  black,"  and  Jessie  caught  the  dark  beauty 
in  her  arms  and  kissed  her  again  and  again. 

Allie  came  and  joined  her  in  caressing  the 
seventeen-year-old  girl.  Jessie's  hair,  between 
the  black  and  the  bronze,  struck  a  happy 
medium  of  dark  brown.  None  of  the  faces  were 
alike ;  indeed,  a  stranger  would  scarcely  have  dis- 
covered a  family  resemblance.  Jessie's  eyes 
were  blue,  Allie's  brown,  and  Dixie's  dark  gray. 
The  twins  had  pink  skin ;  Dixie's  was  as  white  as 
alabaster*  noV  too  thin,  but  Jgiving  her  mis- 
chievous brother  an  almost  irresistible  desire  to 
pinch  her  every  time  she  came  within  reach. 

At  the  moment  the  heads  were  all  together, 
the  mother  came  into  the  hall.  She  was  a  beau- 
tiful woman,  whose  maternity  seemed  to  have 
given  her  queenliness  without  robbing  her  of 
youth.  She  was  tall,  graceful,  and  just  large  enough 
to  indicate  superb  health  and  a  jolly  disposition, 
with  light  brown  hair,  blue  eyes,  olive  com- 
plexion, and  full,  warm  lips.  She  looked  more 
like  a  sister  than  the  mother  of  the  girls  as  she 
kissed  each  and  bade  them  make  haste  and  come 
down  to  breakfast. 

Jim  Miller  was  fifty-five  years  old,  the  son  of  an 
honored  minister,  who  had  been  chaplain  of  a 
Kentucky  regiment  during  the  war  of  the  sixties, 
and  who  ha.d  been  killed  in  battle,  while  minister- 
ing to  the  wounded,  leaving  his  wife  with  a  small 
farm,  a  heav>  mortgage,  and  four  children.  Jim, 


16  JIM    MILLER'S    GflRLS 

then  a  black-haired,  gray-eyed,  sturdy  boy  of 
fourteen,  immediately  left  school  and  took  charge 
of  things  with  the  avowed  purpose  of  taking 
care  of  his  mother  and  three  sisters.  It  was  no 
handicap  to  him  that  the  Millers  had  prided 
themselves  on  their  pluck  and  indomitable  will- 
power for  generations,  while  the  Logans,  his 
mother's  people,  were  among  the  pioneers  that 
had  followed  George  Rogers  Clark  to  Kentucky, 
and  had  gone  with  him  against  Old  Vincennes. 
When  Jim  was  twenty-two,  his  mother  had  died 
and  his  sisters  were  married;  the  mortgage  had 
been  paid  off,  and  the  farm  was  well  stocked 
with  the  finest  horses  in  Kentucky.  Then,  Jim 
had  won  and  married  Mollie  Richards,  and,  after 
the  twins  were  born,  he  had  moved  his  family 
to  the  great  Southwest,  where  lands  were  cheap, 
and  interest  in  fine  stock  enabled  him  to  make  a 
real  success  in  raising  and  selling  the  best.  The 
waters  of  the  Tamalpias  Valley  had  attracted 
him,  and  he  had  bought  the  ranch  that  included 
the  over-flowing  springs  that  furnished  water 
for  the  large  town  of  the  same  name.  Already, 
the  town  was  becoming  a  watering-place,  and  it 
was  also  attaining  an  unenviable  reputation  as 
a  resort  for  gamblers  and  race-track  men.  There 
was  a  good  track,  and  races  were  held  both  in 
the  spring  and  in  the  fall. 

The  breakfast-bell  rang,  and  Jim  Miller  joined 
his  girls  in  the  hall,  and  went  down-stairs  with 
them.  He  was  such  a  man  as  any  young  lady 
might  well  be  proud  to  call  "Father"  in  any 
company;  more  than  six  feet  tall,  his  once-black 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  17 

hair  now  an  attractive  iron-gray,  a  closely 
cropped  mustache,  shaggy  brows,  large,  thick 
ears  with  long  lobes,  an  amused  expression 
lurking  about  the  generous  mouth,  large  hands, 
which,  although  rough,  were  well  cared  for,  a 
free  and  easy  movement  that  proclaimed  the 
utter  absence  of  dissipation,  and  a  sparkle  in  his 
dark  eyes  that  belongs  to  the  optimist. 

As  they  entered  the  spacious  dining-room,  Jack 
came  bounding  in,  his  eyes  beaming  and  his  hair 
tousled,  shouting:  "Why,  girls,  that's  the  most 
fun  I  have  had  since  Fido  was  a  pup !  I  wouldn't 
take  a  team  of  June-bugs  for  the  time  I  have  had 
this  morning.  I  am  going  down  there  every 
morning  after  this.  Dad,  you  ought  to  go  along  ; 
I  just  hit  it  head  first,  and  never  was  cold  after 
that.  Wish  I  had  known  how  fine  it  was  a  long 
time  ago." 

"There,  now,  Son,  run  along  and  get  ready  for 
breakfast,  quickly;  you  will  make  us  late,"  ad- 
monished Mrs.  Miller,  and  Jack  hurried  up-stairs, 
but  was  down  again  before  they  had  risen  from 
the  table. 

It  was  a  beautiful  day,  and  this  was  a  happy 
family  within  whose  circle  love  and  mutual  ad- 
miration abounded.  The  trip  to  the  cemetery 
was  made  before  going  to  the  church,  and  the 
graves  of  Mrs.  Miller's  parents  were  covered 
with  flowers ;  they  had  spent  their  last  days  with 
this,  their  only  daughter,  and  had  died  just  the 
year  before.  Then,  the  family  drove  to  the  church 
of  the  denomination  in  which  Jim's  father  had 
been  an  honored  minister. 


18  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Many  of  the  gathering  congregation  failed  to 
conceal  their  admiration  for  the  splendid  family, 
and  they  were  outspoken  in  their  praise  of  the 
team  of  big  blood-bays  "the  Colonel,"  as  they 
called  Jim,  was  driving.  Jim  seemed  to  expect 
and  enjoy  both  kinds  of  appreciation ;  he  was 
fond  of  his  family  and  proud  of  his  horses,  and 
he  was  never  so  pleased  as  when  he  knew  that 
both  were  recognized.  This  pride  of  fine  horses 
and  beautiful  women  was  the  Kentucky  charac- 
teristic that  won  for  him  the  title  of  "Colonel." 

It  was  a, wonderful  congregation  that  greeted 
the  minister  that  Easter  morning.  The  women, 
young  and  old,  came  fully  up  to  the  reputation 
of  their  sex  in  the  South  for  both  beauty  and 
daintiness  of  attire.  The  millinery  was  equal  to 
that  worn  in  the  largest  cities  on  the  same  day, 
and  no  one  could  have  guessed  that  poverty, 
suffering,  disappointment,  or  heartaches  had  ever 
touched  a  member  of  this  Easter  congregation. 
Even  the  men  were  above  the  average  in  intel- 
ligence, bearing,  and  signs  of  health  and  pros- 
perity. The  beautiful  stone  building  was  crowded, 
and  chairs  were  placed  in  the  aisles.  The  ros- 
trum was  banked  with  white  roses,  lillies,  and 
carnations,  and  ferns  were  on  pedestals  here  and 
there. 

The  twins  were  ushered  to  the  choir,  while 
Dixie  and  Jack  were  seated  with  their  parents. 
An  intelligent  observer  would  have  noticed  the 
pride  showing  in  Jim  Miller's  face  as  the  voices 
of  the  twins  were  heard  above  the  others,  Jessie 
singing  soprano,  and  Allie  a  full,  rich  alto.  Nor 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  19 

was  he  the  only  jealous  and  prejudiced  listener. 
Maury  Tallman,  the  assistant  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank,  was  seated  in  the  rear  of  the 
church,  where  he  could  get  an  occasional  glimpse 
of  Jessie  through  the  billows  of  hats,  and  his 
face  glowed  with  joy  as  he  remembered  that  she 
had  given  him  permission  to  speak  to  her  father. 

The  minister  had  said  to  his  wife  the  day 
before:  "I  am  sure  there  is  an  understanding 
between  Maury  Tallman  and  Jessie  Miller,  and  I 
do  not  know  whether  to  be  pleased  or  not.  He 
is  of  a  type  that  will  either  make  the  woman  he 
loves  supremely  happy,  or  she  will  become  his 
slave.  He  is  moral ;  but,  somehow,  I  do  not  like 
the  type.  I  fear  he  will  never  be  spiritual  and 
temperate  enough  to  make  her  happy." 

"Yes,"  she  had  replied;  "but  he  is  refined,  and 
has  intelligence  enough  to  balance  all  that.  I 
predict  that  Mr.  Miller  will  approve  of  him,  and 
you  know  his  judgment  is  good  and  can  be  relied 
on.  Jessie  is  so  religious  that  I  am  sure  she  will 
develop  his  spiritual  nature." 

But  ihey  were  not  given  to  gossip,  and  the 
subject  was  dropped. 

Across  the  aisle  from  the  Millers  sat  Maxwell 
Wright.  While  it  did  not  show  in  his  face,  he 
was  as  much  pleased  with  the  appearance  and 

Performance  of  Allie  as  were  the  others  with 
essie.  He  was  a  stranger  in  Tamalpias,  having 
come  there  with  a  stable  of  race-horses  that  had 
won  several  prizes  the  fall  before,  and  returning 
a  week  before  Easter  for  the  ostensible  purpose 
of  buying  a  pacer  owned  by  Jim  Miller,  but  in 
reality  to  see  the  stockman's  daughter,  Allie.  He 


20  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

was  non-communicative,  but  was  easily  identified 
as  a  native  of  the  East  by  his  speech  and  manner. 
He  was  of  the  type  that  shrewd  men  take  under 
suspicion  until  they  learn  what  the  game  is,  but 
just  the  kind  that  a  woman  will  become  un- 
reasonable about  when  once  she  has  taken  a 
fancy  to  him. 

After  the  services  were  concluded,  the  twins 
excused  themselves  to  their  parents  and  were 
soon  being  driven  homeward  by  their  admirers, 
Mr.  Tallman  and  Mr.  Wright.  Mrs.  Miller  in- 
vited the  young  men  to  stay  for  the  Southern  one 
o'clock  dinner,  and  Maury  Tallman  accepted  the 
hospitality  graciously,  and  as  a  matter  of  course ; 
but  Mr.  Wright  excused  himself,  saying  that  he 
had  an  engagement.  It  was  evident  that  he  did 
not  considered  it  conventional  to  remain.  So, 
having  made  an  engagement  with  Allie  to  drive 
with  him  that  afternoon,  he  returned  to  his  hotel. 

Maury  Tallman  had  heard  his  mother  tell  one 
of  her  friends  that,  when  she  wanted  a  new 
bonnet,  she  always  gave  her  husband  a  good 
dinner  before  mentioning  the  fact.  Remember- 
ing this,  and  deeming  it  good  advice  for  the 
matter  in  hand,  he  said  as  they  rose  from  the 
dinner-table : 

"I  haven't  seen  that  new  colt  I  have  heard  so 
much  about,  Mr.  Miller." 

"All  right,  come  with  me  and  I  will  show  you 
the  best  piece  of  horse-flesh  for  its  age,  this  side 
of  Kentucky.  I  am  sure  you  will  agree  with  me 
when  you  see  him,  if  you  have  studied  stock." 

"No,  sir,  I  am  not  much  judge  of  horses  until 
I  see  them  on  the  track." 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  21 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  SURVIVAL   OF   THE   FITTEST. 

Maury  Tallman  found  it  difficult  to  lead  up  to 
the  subject  he  wanted  to  talk  to  Jim  Miller 
about,  because  the  latter  was  so  enthusiastic  about 
his  stock. 

"Just  look  at  that  colt !  He's  only  three  weeks 
old,  but  he  is  as  large  and  active  as  most  colts 
twice  that  age.  He  is  sure  to  take  the  prize  at 
the  Fair  this  fall,  if  he  lives  to  get  there.  But 
why  shouldn't  he?  He  has  a  pedigree  that  runs 
back  at  least  ten  generations  on  both  sides,  and 
all  of  his  ancestors  have  made  good." 

"But  you  sold  the  last  colt  by  his  dam  for 
almost  nothing,  did  you  not?" 

"Sure.  When  I  found  that  there  was  a  bad 
place  in  the  pedigree  of  her  sire,  and  that  she  was 
giving  signs  of  breeding  back  to  the  faults  of  the 
sire  of  her  sire's  dam,  I  did  not  have  room  on 
this  ranch  for  her.  I  don't  allow  any  scrubs  on 
this  place — horse,  cow,  chicken,  nor  even  dog. 
What  is  the  use  of  breeding  scrubs  when  it  does 
not  cost  a  cent  more  to  keep  pure  breeds?  I 
have  all  the  runts  and  defective  animals  and 
fowls  on  this  place  sold,  given  away,  or  killed 
immediately,  lest  they  perpetuate  their  imper- 
fections. And  I  do  not  like  scrub  men,  either. 
If  there  is  anything  I  do  admire,  it  is  a  manly 
man,  or  a  womanly  woman." 

Tallman  was  somewhat  abashed  at  this  last 
remark ;  but  his  ready  wit,  which  had  helped 


22  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

him  out  of  many  a  tight  place,  came  to  his  relief, 
and  he  replied  with  a  laugh :  "Well,  you  are 
certainly  giving  the  world  a  fine  example  of  all 
you  have  been  saying.  You  have  put  your  theory 
of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  into  practice  on  your 
ranch;  you  are  one  of  the  most  manly  men  I 
ever  knew,  and  your  wife  and  three  daughters 
are  truly  queenly  women." 

"Thank  you,  Tallman,  I  will  agree  with  you 
on  the  first  and  last  propositions;  but  I  can  only 
return  the  compliment  about  the  other." 

This  was  better  than  the  young  man  had 
reckoned,  and  he  hastened  to  take  the  advantage 
it  offered. 

"By  the  way,  Mr.  Miller,  I  suspect  you  have 
noticed  that  I  have  been  quite  attentive  to  Miss 
Jessie  since  she  returned  from  the  East.  Well, 
I  have  her  permission  to  tell  you  that  there  is 
an  understanding  between  us,  and  that  we  want 
your  consent  to  start  a  home  of  our  own.  You 
are  acquainted  with  my  family,  you  know  of  my 
financial  standing,  and  I  leave  you  to  judge  of 
my  attainments  and  manhood.  I  love  your 
daughter  very  dearly,  and  will  try  to  make  her  a 
good  husband  if  you  will  allow  me  to  come  into  the 
family." 

Jim  Miller  looked  far  away  to  the  southwest, 
where  a  gray  cloud  was  dropping  an  April 
shower  on  Bachelor  Peak,  and  the  moisture  came 
into  his  eyes.  He  did  not  answer  immediately ; 
but,  when  he  did,  he  looked  the  young  man  full 
in  the  eyes  and  said  in  a  tone  that  betrayed  his 
deep  feeling: 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  23 

"Yes,  I  have  noticed  your  attentions,  and  I 
have  been  expecting  something  like  this  to  hap- 
pen ;  but  it  is  mighty  hard  to  think  of  giving  up 
one  of  my  girls  You  can  not  know  what  it 
means  until  you  are  called  on  to  do  it.  I  have 
weighed  the  matter,  and  have  talked  with  my 
wife  about  it.  We  believe  you  to  be  all  right, 
and  that  you  will  cherish  our  child  as  your  own 
life.  I  would  not  give  her  to  a  scrub,  nor  would 
I  give  her  to  a  man  that  I  doubted  would  make 
her  happy.  Take  her,  but  please  remember  that 
she  is  as  dear  to  me  as  life  itself,  and  I  would 
avenge  a  wrong  done  her,  under  any  and  all 
circumstances.  Promise  me  you  will  never  cause 
her  a  moment's  unnecessary  sorrow." 

"I  thank  you  for  the  confidence,  and  I  promise 
you  most  solemnly  that  I  will  cherish  her  and 
make  her  happy.  I  have  been  a  little  wild,  as 
most  men  have ;  but  I  shall  never  be  untrue  to 
Jessie  in  the  most  trivial  matter." 

"I  believe  you,  my  boy.  Now  run  on  to  her, 
and  let  me  go  and  make  that  nigger  water  this 
mare." 

Maury  found  her  in  a  lawn-swing  among  the 
shrubbery,  and  related  to  her  his  interview  with 
her  father. 

"And  now  you  must  name  the  day,  and  make 
it  right  soon,  Little  Queen;  for  I  should  like  to 
take  you  abroad  for  the  summer." 

"Oh !  Why,  you  silly  boy,  it  never  could  be 
that  soon." 

"Why?" 

"I   must   wait   for  Allie.     We   can   never  be 


24  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

separated  until  we  both  marry;  it  must  be  a 
double  wedding." 

"But  what  if  Maxwell  does  not  come  to  the 
point?" 

"Never  fear.  There  they  go  now,  and  I  would 
wager  you  a  kiss  that  he  proposes  before  they 
'return,  and  that  she  accepts  him,  too." 

"Done!  And  you  might  just  as  well  give  me 
the  kiss  now ;  for,  you  see,  I  win  if  I  lose." 

"Rascal!     I  hadn't  thought  of  that." 

"But  suppose  your  father  objects?" 

"To  the  kiss!" 

"No,  to  the  other  son-in-law,  teaser." 

"Suppose  he  did;  do  you  think  Allie  would 
throw  Maxwell  over?" 

"I  hope  she  would  not  marry  against  her 
father's  will/' 

"So  do  I;  but  she  is  mightily  set  on  marrying 
him,  if  he  asks  her,  and  he  is  the  kind  of  man, 
and  she  is  the  kind  of  woman,  that  'laughs  at 
locksmiths.' " 

He  was  silent  for  a  time,  and  she  offered  him 
a  penny  for  his  thoughts. 

"I  was  just  wondering  what  we  would  have 
done  had  your  father  given  me  a  different  answer 
a  while  ago." 

"O,  but  there  was  never  any  question  about 
your  being  acceptable  to  my  family.  It  is  dif- 
ferent with  Mr.  Wright." 

"What  does  your  mother  think  of  him?" 

"She  has  only  one  serious  objection,  so  far  as 
I  know,  and  that  is  that  he  is  a  Northern  man. 
You  know  how  prejudiced  we  all  are  on  that  line 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  25 

Mother  says  little,  but  I  am  sure  she  would 
much  prefer  that  we  all  marrv  Southern  men." 

"I  am  glad  I  am  a  Southern  man." 

"So  am  I,  you  great  big  boy !" 

"Are  you  sorry  I  am  so  large,  Little  Queen?" 

"I  would  not  have  you  otherwise  than  as  you 
are  for  anything  in  the  world." 

"Not  even  my  mouth,  which  is  so  large  there 
had  to  be  a  big  nose  to  shade  it?" 

"If  you  do  not  quit  slandering  my  lover,  I  am 
going  to  turn  you  out." 

Just  then,  Dixie  came  on  them  and  was  about 
to  turn  away  embarrassed,  when  Jessie  called 
her,  and  said: 

"Dixie,  you  are  to  be  the  first  to  share  our 
joy.  Father  has  just  given  his  consent  for  me 
to  marry  Maury.  Are  you  glad  to  have  him  for  a 
brother?" 

"Yes,  if  Daddy  is  willing,  it  must  be  all  right," 
and  Dixie  advanced  and  gave  Tallman  her  hand. 

"You  must  believe  in  your  father,  Dixie,"  sug- 
gested the  young  man. 

"Believe  in  him !  Of  course,  I  do.  We  all  do. 
Why,  Daddy  is  the  best  man  living,  and  I  know 
that  what  he  thinks,  is  all  right." 

"Well,  you  can't  know  how  glad  I  am  he  thinks 
me  all  right.  Won't  you  give  your  new  brother 
a  kiss?" 

"No,  sir!  There  will  be  time  enough  for  that 
when  you  are  my  brother." 

"Good  for  you !  I  like  that,  and  I  like  my  new 
sister  the  better  for  having  such  high  priniciples. 
Stick  to  them  and  you  will  never  be  sorry." 


26  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Tallman.  I  think  a  kiss  is 
too  sacred  to  be  given  or  taken  lightly,  and  I 
am  told  that  they  are  more  appreciated  when 
they  are  hard  to  get;  just  like  the  trout  in  the 
creek  down  yonder.  Not  much  is  said  when  one 
lands _ a  five-pound  cat;  but  a  trout  half  that 
weight  is  talked  of  for  a  week  after  the  catch." 

"What  a  philosopher  my  little  sister  is !" 

"Better  wait  until  the  wedding  is  over,  Mr. 
Tallman,"  and  Dixie  left  the  lovers  to  their 
planning  and  went  to  play  with  the  white  rabbits 
in  their  clover  patch. 

When  Allie  and  Maxwell  Wright  returned 
from  their  drive,  the  sun  was  gathering  the  cur- 
tains of  night  about  him  and  taking  his  evening 
plunge  into  a  sea  of  crimson  and  gold.  It  was 
immediately  apparent  to  the  couple  still  in  the 
swing  that  something  very  pleasing  and  impor- 
tant had  taken  place ;  and  the  twins  understood 
each  other  so  well  that  it  was  unnecessary  for 
Jessie  to  explain  how  matters  stood  with  her  and 
Maury.  Again,  Mr.  Wright  was  asked  to  stay 
to  supper,  but  he  politely  declined  to  do  so.  Not 
even  when  Maury  told  him  it  would  be  the  oc- 
casion of  his  engagement  being  announced  to 
the  family,  would  he  consent  to  remain,  and  he 
drove  off,  saying  that  he  would  come  over  later. 

In  their  room  that  night,  the  twins  discussed 
their  love-affairs  with  perfect  frankness.  Both 
were  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  their  father 
would  be  slow  to  give  his  consent  to  the  marriage 
of  Allie  and  Mr.  Wright,  and  Jessie,  apprehen- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  27 

sive  of  the  result,  asked  Allie  what  she  would 
do  in  that  event. 

"Why,  marry  him  anyway.  If  Father  and 
Mother  do  not  consent,  it  will  be  only  because 
of  sectional  prejudice,  and  that  is  silly,  not  to 
say  wicked." 

"But,  Allie,  dear,  you  know  so  little  about  him ; 
and  how  can  you  be  entirely  sure  he  is  worthy, 
and  will  make  you  a  faithful  and  loving  hus- 
band?" 

"Just  as  you  are  sure  of  Maury  Tallman's 
virtues.  And,  more  than  that,  I  would  marry 
him  if  all  the  world  was  against  us.  He  asked 
me  what  I  would  do  if  the  family  was  not  willing, 
and  I  told  him  I  would  go  to  the  smallest  island 
of  the  sea,  or  to  an  adobe  house  in  Mexico  with 
him,  and  I  would !" 

"I  dislike  to  hear  you  talk  that  way,  darling. 
It  is  premature  even  to  think  such  thoughts  until 
he  asks  Father.  When  is  he  going  to  interview 
him?" 

"I  don't  know.  He  dreads  it ;  but  I  urged  him 
to  do  it  right  away.  I  hope  it  will  be  all  right, 
and  we  can  have  a  double  wedding  in  the  church. 
Wouldn't  that  be  grand !" 

"Yes,  that  is  just  what  Maury  and  I  want.  He 
asked  me  to  name  a  day  in  June,  and  proposed 
that  we  go  abroad  for  the  summer  You  know 
how  much  I  have  wanted  to  visit  Holland  and 
Switzerland.  He  has  been  there,  and  listening  to 
his  fine  descriptions  of  the  countries  and  the 
people  has  made  me  very  anxious  to  go." 


28  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Maxwell  asked  me  to  name  a  day  in  June, 
too." 

"And  did  he  propose  a  European  trip?" 

"No,  he  suggested  that  we  go  to  some  wonder- 
ful lakes  and  streams  in  Canada,  where  he  has 
often  spent  the  season  fishing  and  hunting." 

"I  dislike  the  thought  of  giving  up  our  good 
home,  and  am  distressed  with  the  idea  of  our 
being  separated  when  we  have  always  been  to- 
gether ;  but  the  thought  of  life  with  the  man  one 
loves  eclipses  everything  else." 

Far  into  the  night,  the  girls  talked.  Jessie  was 
the  first  to  fall  asleep,  and  her  dreams  were  all 
happy.  When  Allie  at  last  slept,  it  was  the  fitful 
sleeping  and  waking  of  one  who  is  troubled ;  but, 
finally,  her  slumber  was  deep  enough  for  dreams, 
and  she  was  driving  with  Maxwell  Wright  over 
roads  where  there  were  broken  bridges,  gates  to 
be  opened,  and  rough  places  to  impede  their 
progress.  At  last,  it  seemed  that  he  gave  her 
the  reins  and  got  out  to  open  a  gate;  the  horse 
was  fretful  and  hard  to  hold,  her  hands  were 
tired,  and  she  was  about  to  let  the  horse  get 
beyond  control,  when  she  was  awakened  by 
Jessie's  warm  kisses  on  her  face. 

Day  after  day,  for  a  week,  Maxwell  Wright 
put  off  the  interview  with  Jim  Miller.  When  he 
did  bring  himself  to  speak,  he  found  his  fears 
that  there  would  be  objection  well  founded. 
Neither  the  father  nor  the  mother  liked  the  idea 
of  giving  their  daughter  to  a  man  of  whom  they 
knew  so  little,  and  whose  habits  and  training 
were  so  different  from  hers.  If  he  had  talked 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  29 

plainly  to  Maury  Tallman,  Jim  spoke  more  freely 
to  Maxwell  Wright;  and  that  young  man  was 
not  open  and  sincere  as  Maury  had  been.  His 
words  were  smooth ;  but  Jim  Miller  had  studied 
horses  and  men  all  his  life  to  some  purpose,  and 
he  told  him  plainly  that  he  believed  his  habits 
to  be  bad,  and  that  he  was  uneasy  about  the 
future  happiness  of  his  child  if  she  married  him. 

The  conversation  ended  by  the  father  saying 
he  would  consider  the  matter  and  give  his  answer 
later.  Mrs.  Miller  told  her  husband  that,  while 
she  was  not  heartily  in  favor  of  the  young  man, 
she  feared  Allie  was  so  deeply  in  love  with  him 
that  they  would  find  it  difficult  to  break  up  the 
affair.  She  advised  him  to  write  to  the  references 
Wright  had  given  him,  and  find  out  how  he  stood 
at  home.  This  he  did,  and,  within  a  week,  he 
had  replies  from  a  banker,  a  minister,  and  the 
mayor  of  the  town.  The  banker  reported  him 
to  be  a  man  of  means  and  with  business  integ- 
rity; the  minister  said  that  the  Wrights  were 
members  of.  his,  church,  and  he  hoped  that  Max- 
well would  soon  come  into  the  flock;  the  mayor 
was  enthusiastic,  and  warmly  recommended  him 
for  "anything  he  wants,  up  to  the  Presidency." 

In  the  meantime,  Allie  has  become  more  in- 
fatuated than  ever,  and  was  bold  to  declare  her 
preference  before  the  family,  and  even  to  plan 
for  the  wedding  and  her  future.  Thus  it  came  to 
pass  that  the  parents  gave  their  consent  to  the 
marriage;  and  they  did  it  heartily,  for  they  were 
taking  a  son  into  the  family  as  well  as  giving 
a  daughter  away.  It  was  characteristic  of  the 


30  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

family  that  all  followed  the  example  'of  the 
parents  in  making  everything  pleasant  for  the 
newcomer. 

It  was  arranged  that  the  wedding  of  the  twins 
should  take  place  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  June, 
St.  John's  Day,  in  the  beautiful  stone  church,  and 
the  engagements  were  announced  at  a  luncheon 
the  first  week  in  May. 

Mr.  Wright  returned  to  his  home  in  New 
York,  and  Allie  wove  love  into  the  stitches  as 
she  sewed  by  day,  and  dreamed  of  being  with 
her  lover  in  the  wilds  of  Canada,  by  night.  The 
dreams  were  seldom  troubled  now,  just  an  oc- 
casional drive  when  Maxwell  would  get  out  and 
leave  her  to  hold  the  reins  over  the  fretful  horse 
that  always  threatened  to  run  away  with  her; 
and  it  was  always  the  same  in  detail,  even  to  the 
fact  that  she  would  awaken  just  as  she  felt  she 
must  give  up  and  let  the  horse  run. 

Contrary  to  the  adage,  nothing  came  to  cause 
a  ripple  in  the  love  of  Jessie  and  Maury,  not 
even  a  lover's  quarrel.  Old  Rilla  mentioned  it  one 
day,  saying: 

"Listen  to  your  ol'  mammy,  honey-chile. 
Them  as  has  no  fuss  afore  they's  married,  allus 
has  'em  arterwards.  An'  it's  bes'  to  have  one 
or  two  afore  the  weddin',  jes'  to  see  how  you  is 
goin'  about  settlin'  'em  at  last." 

"But,  Mammy,  we  are  different  from  other 
people;  we  are  never,  never  going  to  have  a 
quarrel." 

"Hump!  Now  that  jes'  sounds  like  they  all 
says  it;  'we  is  different  from  other  folks,  never 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  31 

is  gwine  to  have  no  quarrelin'.'  Den,  they  goes 
and  quarrels  jes'  the  same,  on'y  they  tries  to 
keep  it  to  theyselves.  Lawdy,  chile,  I  seen  'em." 

But  Jessie  kept  her  own  counsel.  She  knew 
that  her  love  and  lover  were  different  from  any- 
thing that  had  ever  been,  and  she  was  supremely 
happy. 

The  announcement  of  the  double  wedding 
created  a  sensation  in  social  circles,  and  opinions 
differed  widely  concerning  the  marriage  of  one 
of  the  Miller  twins  to  the  stranger  from  New 
York.  For  these  were  days  when  prejudices  still 
ran  high  when  any  one  or  anything  revived  the 
question  of  North  or  South,  and  Maxwell  Wright 
was  from  north  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line. 
Old  Doctor  McConnel  was  first  to  mention  the 
matter  to  Jim  Miller,  and  he  did  it  in  a  very 
gentle  way. 

"I  am  sorry,"  he  said,  "that  one  of  your  girls 
is  going  away  from  us,  Jim.  You  will  pardon 
my  frankness,  but  I  don't  like  young  Wright. 
He  seems  tricky  to  me,  and  I  am  sure  he  must 
nave  sown  quite  a  crop  of  wild  oats." 

"I  suspect  that  is  true,"  Jim  Miller  replied,  and 
the  lines  tightened  about  his  mouth ;  "but,  then, 
they  all  do  that  these  days,  and,  if  a  girl  waited 
for  a  man  who  had  never  sowed  wild  oats,  she 
would  go  unwed  to  her  grave;  isn't  it  so?" 

"Hardly,  I  believe;  but  almost  so.  Very  few 
men  keep  clean  these  days.  And  it  is  a  shame." 

"I  grant  you  that,  Doctor;  but  the  race  seems 
to  get  on  just  the  same.  You  do  not  think  there 


32  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

is  anything  more  than  a  moral  question  in  it,  do 
you?" 

"Yes,  we  are  learning  that  many  things  find 
their  origin  in  the  profligate  living  of  our  young. 
But  we  are  just  waking  up  and  beginning  our 
investigations  along  these  lines." 

They  were  interrupted  just  then,  and,  although 
Jim  Miller  determined  to  ask  the  Doctor  some 
further  questions,  time  slipped  by,  and  the  whole 
matter  was  forgotten.  In  after  days,  he  re- 
membered, and  that  is  why  this  story  is  written. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  33 


CHAPTER  III. 

TWO   JUNE  BRIDES. 

June  is  the  most  trying  month  in  the  year  in 
the  Southwest.  The  days  are  long  and  sultry; 
the  winds  seem  to  have  arranged  an  armistice 
after  the  fierce  battle  they  have  been  having  for 
three  months,  and  the  terrible  calm  of  the  morn- 
ings, the  shimmering  heat  of  noonday,  and  the 
heavy,  perfume-laden  atmosphere  of  the  late  eve- 
ning, drive  those  citizens  who  are  able  to  go, 
to  the  mountains  of  the  west  or  the  lakes  of  the 
north  by  the  middle  of  the  month.  The  schools 
are  out,  the  crops  are  laid  by,  and  those  who  have 
supported  the  churches  with  their  money  seem 
to  think  that  it  is  no  more  than  right  that  those 
who  can  not  take  a  vacation  should  attend  to  the 
revivals,  which,  by  the  way,  are  always  held  in 
midsummer.  There  is  nothing  more  desolate 
than  such  a  town  emptied  of  its  women  and  chil- 
dren, leaving  the  men  to  attend  to  what  little 
business  there  may  be  goin  on.  However,  the 
approaching  wedding  of  the  Miller  twins  had 
kept  all  their  friends  in  Tamalpias,  although  it 
was  past  the  middle  of  the  month. 

The  heat-wave  had  been  long  and  torrid;  but 
it  was  broken  by  a  shower  on  Thursday,  and  the 
cloudiness  increased  until  the  skies  were  hidden 
by  a  solid  canopy  of  gray  all  day  Sunday.  When 
Rilla  called  the  twins  to  go  for  their  baths  Mon- 
day morning,  she  explained: 

"It's  jes'  too  bad!     He-er's  my  sweet  baby- 


34  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

chillern  to  get  married  at  noon,  an'  they's  not 
narry  star  to  be  seed.  I  sholy  did  want  my 
honey-babies  to  have  a  putty  day  to  git  off  in ; 
but  it's  jes'  as  liable  to  rain  ag'in  as  not.  Come 
on,  da'lin's,  le's  go  down  an'  take  yo'  baths  the 
las'  time  yo'  po'  black  mammy  will  ever  he'p 
y'all.  O  my  Gawd,  how's  I  gwine  to  stan'  it?" 

"There,  there,  Mammy,  we  will  come  back  and 
bother  you  lots  of  times,"  consoled  Allie. 

"Tain't  no  bother.  Who  said  it  is  bother? 
Y'al  never  is  been  no  bother  to  nobody." 

"Stop  Rilla,  or  you  will  spoil  our  wedding- 
day,"  warned  Jessie,  as  they  walked  to  the  bath- 
house. 

"Yessum,  I  isn't  gwine  to  say  another  word 
ef  I  kin  he'p  myself.  Go  'long  now  and  take  your 
plunge,  an'  be  happy  as  that  mocking-bird  what 
is  singin'  in  that  pecan-tree  over  there,  same  as 
he  allus  is,  jes,  as  ef  he  was  a  doin'  it  fer  y'all, 
special." 

The  pool  was  built  directly  over  the  springs, 
and  the  white  sand  kept  boiling  up  in  a  hundred 
places.  The  water  was  about  four  feet  deep,  and 
had  just  enough  mineral  in  it  to  make  it  as  clear 
as  crystal.  There  were  several  small  fish  in  the 
pool  and  one  could  see  them  anywhere  in  the 
water. 

In  the  early  dawn  of  this  June  morning,  the 
twins  made  a  romantic  picture  sporting  in  the 
beautiful  pool,  while  the  black  nurse  sat  on  the 
steps  and  talked  to  herself,  as  was  her  habit.  The 
twins  had  tried  to  teach  her  to  speak  proper 
English,  with  the  result  that  she  spoke  some- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  35 

what  correctly  one  time,  and  lapsed  into  her 
dialect  another.  But,  when  stirred  by  emotion 
or  talking  to  herself,  she  made  no  attempt  to 
use  their  "sawsiety  palaver,"  as  she  called  it. 
Now,  amid  groans  and  grunts  and  rolling  her 
eyes  back  and  forth,  she  was  giving  vent  to  her 
feelings. 

"Umph!  Bress  dey  h'arts,  dey  is  de  sweetes' 
angel-chillun  dat  eber  wuz  bawned  inter  dis  po' 
sinful  worl'.  O  Gawd,  whyn't  You  gib  'em  a 
cla'r  bride's-day?  Nuffin'  but  clouds  an'  dawk- 
ness,  an'  that  means  sorrer  an'  trouble  fer  my 
angel-twins.  How's  I  gwine  ter  stan'  it?  I  jes' 
knows  day's  sumpin'  orfel  gwine  ter  happen ;  I 
jes'  feels  it  in  my  bones.  I'se  not  gwine  to  come 
down  he'er  no  mo'.  O  Lawd,  I  jes'  wants  Gab- 
riel ter  come  on  an'  take  this  po'  niggah  home 
soon's  my  po'  babies  is  done  leeb  me.  Seem  lak 
it  am  dey  funimal  'stid  ob  dey  weddin'.  O 
La-a-awd,  hab  mercy  on  us  all."  The  grief  of 
the  old  nurse  was  pathetic  to  behold. 

Evidently,  the, twins  did  not  share  her  super- 
stitions, or,  if  they  did,  they  were  not  impressed 
with  them,  for  they  laughed  as  gaily,  and  played 
in  the  water  as  friskily,  as  they  had  ever  done.  In- 
deed, their  laughter  seemed  to  have  awakened 
an  extra  squirrel  or  two,  and  the  mocking-bird 
was  doing  his  utmost.  When  they  came  to  the 
steps,  Jessie  stopped  and  looked  back  at  the  won- 
derful pool. 

"Dear  old  pool,"  she  said,  "I  wonder  if  I  will 
find  anything  like  you  in  all  Europe?  Come 
back,  Allie,  and  let  us  take  one  more  farewell 


36  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

plunge.  Take  my  hand  and  we  will  jump  off  head 
first,  as  we  used  to  do." 

In  they  leaped,  coming  up  with  jolly  laughter, 
and  running  immediately  to  their  dressing-rooms, 
as  though  they  were  afraid  to  look  back  again. 
When  they  reappeared,  Jack  was  standing  on  a 
spring-board,  throwing  marbles  into  the  water. 

"Look,  girls.  Which  one  do  you  want  me  to 
bring  up,  this  glassy,  this  crockey,  or  this  white 
one?" 

"Throw  them  all  in  at  once  and  then  bring  up 
the  brown  crockey,"  suggested  Allie. 

The  feat  was  performed  so  quickly  that  it  took 
the  fun  out  of  the  task.  Then,  they  watched  him 
perform  some  of  the  tricks  he  had  learned  from 
Maxwell  Wright,  who  was  a  "regular  fish  in  the 
water,"  as  Jack  declared. 

At  last,  they  bade  the  place  adieu  and  went 
up  the  dewy  path  just  as  the  bell  at  Villa  Maria 
was  sending  its  mellow  tones  out  over  the  valley 
as  if  to  lend  cheer  to  the  gloomy  morning. 

At  the  breakfast-table,  Dixie  surprised  them 
all  by  saying  sweetly,  and  with  little  embarrass- 
ment: "Mother,  dear,  here  is  a  note  I  received 
from  Drury  Patterson  this  morning;  it  was  in 
the  mail  Seth  brought  up.  Shall  I  answer  it?" 

Drury  Patterson  had  lived  in  Tamalpias  four 
years,  and  he  and  Dixie  had  taken  first  and  second 
honors  in  the  class  that  had  graduated  from  the 
High  School  three  weeks  before.  Drury  had 
won  the  State  University  Scholarship,  and  Dixie 
had  been  awarded  one  in  Barlow  College.  Drury 
Patterson's  parents  were  admitted  to  social 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  37 

circles  because  Mr.  Patterson  came  of  an  old 
family  of  highly  respectable  people.  He  was  the 
last  representative  of  the  family,  and  was  much 
dissipated  and  improvident.  The  small  fortune 
inherited  from  his  father  was  almost  gone,  and 
was  barely  enough  now  to  keep  them  from  actual 
want.  Some  years  before  this  chronicle  opens, 
John  Patterson  had  gone  away  and  remained 
for  several  years,  coming  back  at  the  time  men- 
tioned, with  a  wife  and  the  boy,  Drury ;  and  it 
did  not  take  the  boy  long  to  win  a  place  for  him- 
self by  his  industry  and  his  excellence  in  his 
studies. 

After  reading  the  note,  Mrs.  Miller  said : 
"Well,  that  is  a  nice  little  note,  and  I  do  not  see 
why  you  should  not  go  to  the  lecture  with  him 
tomorrow  night  if  you  care  to." 

"Ho,  ho !  Dixie  is  gong  to  have  a  beau  !  Bet- 
ter look  out,  Dad,  or  you  won't  have  a  girl  left 
pretty  soon,"  laughed  Jack. 

"Mother,  I  do  not  like  the  idea  of  Dixie  re- 
ceiving company  just  now,  and  especially  Drury 
Patterson.  He  is  a  good  boy,  all  right ;  but  look 
how  his  father  is  going.  He  has  taken  the  Keeley 
Cure  twice,  and,  now,  he  is  drinking  harder  than 
ever,"  Jessie  protested. 

'But  Drury  does  not  drink,  and  he  hates  the 
very  smell  of  whisky,"  defended  Dixie.  "I  heard 
him  say,  at  school  one  day,  that  he  did  not  see 
how  anybody  could  like  anything  that  smelled 
like  whisky." 

"What  do  you  think  about  it,  Jim?"  asked  the 
mother. 


38  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"O  I  guess  it  is  all  right.  They  are  only 
children,  and  John  Patterson  is  a  pretty  good 
sort  of  fellow,  if  he  does  drink  too  much  some- 
times." 

"Of  course,  Dixie,  it  is  only  as  a  schoolmate 
and  young  friend  that  you  are  to  receive  Drury, 
and  not  as  a  lover,  or  anything  of  that  kind." 

"Why,  certainly,  Mother.  I  intend  to  finish 
Barlow  before  thinking  of  lovers." 

"That's  right,  Baby.  Get  your  education.  It 
will  be  time  enough  then  to  be  thinking  of  affairs 
of  the  heart.  Three  years  will  make  you  quite 
a  woman,  and  I  hope  you  will  decide  by  that 
time  to  stay  with  your  daddy  many  years,"  and 
Jim  Miller  kissed  the  girl  and  rose  from  the  table. 

About  nine  o'clock,  there  was  a  rift  in  the 
clouds ;  but  the  sun  soon  hid  his  face  and  did  not 
shine  again  until  late  in  the  afternoon.  All  was 
hustle  and  hurry  in  the  Miller  home.  The  ser- 
vants were  almost  useless  as  they  went  about 
crying  and  muttering  to  themselves  and  each 
other  about  losing  the  twins,  as  though  they 
were  to  be  buried,  rather  than  married,  that  day. 
The  family  was  cheerful,  determined  that  'it 
should  be  a  happy  occasion  for  the  brides,  un- 
marred  by  any  show  of  sorrow  on  their  part. 

When  the  wedding-party  reached  the  church 
at  high  noon,  they  found  the  building  crowded 
with  friends.  The  church  was  most  beautifully 
decorated.  The  aisles  were  covered  with  strips 
of  white  cloth  that  led  to  the  altar  just  in  front 
of  the  pulpit,  and  over  the  altar  swung  two  floral 
bells.  The  altar  was  covered  with  bride's  roses 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  39 

and  white  myrtle,  and  wrought  out  in  rosebuds 
across  it  were  the  words :  "They  twain  shall  be 
one  flesh."  A  padded  kneeling-board  covered  with 
white  satin  was  placed  in  front  of  the  altar  and 
a  bower  for  the  minister  behind  it.  White  rib- 
bons were  festooned  along  the  ends  of  the  pews 
on  both  sides  of  the  aisles;  arches,  at  the  ends 
next  to  the  altar,  were  hung  with  gates,  on  which 
were  ribbons  with  gold  letters  reading:  "For- 
saking all  others,"  and  on  the  other  side,  to  be 
read  as  they  retired:  "Till  death  do  you  part.'" 

Preceding  the  brides,  as  they  came  up  the  east 
aisle  leaning  on  the  arms  of  their  father,  flower- 
girls  strewed  white  flowers,  while  the  pipe-organ 
filled  the  building  with  the  slow  music  of  the 
Lohengrin  Wedding-March.  Four  bridesmaids 
followed  in  pairs.  Up  the  west  aisle  came  Maury 
Tallman,  his  large  face  just  serious  enough  to 
escape  criticism,  but  with  the  self-reliance  and 
graceful  ease  for  which  he  was  so  well  known. 
With  him,  as  his  best  man,  walked  Alfred  Pryor, 
a  young  attorney.  Next  came  Maxwell  Wright, 
with  downcast  eyes  and  embarrassed  mien,  more 
faultlessly  attired  than  the  other  bridegroom, 
but  more  self-conscious  and  ill  at  ease.  With 
him  was  John  Porter  Allen,  and  following  them 
came  Stacy  Craddock  and  William  Martin. 

Never  had  there  been  such  a  wedding  in 
Tamalpias,  and  it  was  evident,  by  the  glances 
in  her  direction,  that  the  audience  knew  it  had 
all  been  planned  by  the  minister's  wife,  who  sat 
half  hidden  behind  a  screen  of  ferns  and  plants 
to  the  left  of  the  altar.  But  the  multitude  did 


40  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

not  know  that  she  was  thus  stationed  that  she 
might  prompt  minister,  brides,  or  bridegrooms 
ir  case  of  embarrassment,  or  forgetfulness.  The 
ceremony  had  been  most  carefully  rehearsed ; 
tut  she  had  learned  from  many  experiences  to 
be  ready  for  any  emergency. 

The  minister  was  pale  and  solemn ;  but  his 
rich  voice  was  steady  and  reassuring,  and  the 
ceremony  was  performed  without  a  mistake  of 
any  kind.  A  simple  prayer  closed  the  impressive 
scene.  As  the  prayer  was  ended,  the  maids  of 
lionor  removed  the  small  face-veils  worn  by  the 
brides,  the  plaintive  notes  of  the  organ  took  on 
more  volume,  and  the  brides  and  bridegrooms 
rose  from  their  knees  and  turned  to  retire.  The 
vision  of  loveliness  caused  a  sigh  of  admiration 
to  pass  over  the  vast  audience,  and  the  party 
passed  through  the  gate  at  the  west  aisle  and 
were  soon  seated  in  John  Porter  Allen's  new 
automobile. 

It  was  after  two  o'clock  when  the  company 
entered  the  spacious  dining-room  at  the  Miller 
home  and  sat  down  to  the  wedding-dinner.  The 
brides  were  now  in  gray  traveling-dresses.  The 
window-shades  were  drawn,  and  candles,  from 
chandelier  and  stick,  suffused  the  scene  with 
mellow  light.  Gay  talk  and  mild  raillery  dis- 
pelled the  feeling  of  sadness  that  would  other- 
wise have  settled  like  a  pall  over  the  hearts  of 
the  family,  and  helped  to  cover  the  embarrass- 
ment of  the  youngsters  that  were  expected  to 
follow  the  example  of  the  day  in  the  near  future. 

At  four  o'clock,  the  twins  bade  the  sobbing 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  41 

servants  good-by.  Old  Rilla  cried  most  pite- 
ously,  and  persisted  in  kissing  the  hems  of  the 
twins'  skirts.  The  whole  party — guests,  parents, 
and  all — went  to  the  station,  where  rice  was 
thrown,  and  tags  were  pinned  on  clothing  and 
baggage,  which  announced  to  the  world  that 
these  were  newly-weds.  There  was  much  kiss- 
ing, some  tears,  promises  made  to  write,  and 
wishes  in  abundance.  As  the  bell  rang,  the  sun 
broke  through  the  clouds,  and  the  train  pulled 
out  for  the  East,  bearing  away  happiness  that  it 
would  never  bring  back  again. 

Drury  Patterson  was  at  the  station,  and,  when 
he  saw  the  tears  in  Dixie's  luminous  gray  eyes, 
he  spoke  to  her  gently,  but  with  such  good  humor 
that  she  was  compelled  to  smile  until  there  were 
rainbows  on  her  tears.  Indeed,  Drury  seemed  to 
have  the  happy  faculty  of  making  people  forget 
their  sorrows  in  a  moment.  He  had  helped 
many  of  his  school-mates  to  bear  the  disappoint- 
ment of  failing  to  get  a  letter  or  pass  an  ex- 
amination. He  was  a  real  altruist  and  made 
others  catch  the  spirit  and  see  matters  in  their 
best  light.  He  was  a  handsome  young  fellow, 
whose  face  called  for  a  second  look.  There  was 
a  breadth  of  brow,  and  an  expression  on  the 
rather  square  face  that  betokened  intellect  and 
will-power  in  splendid  balance,  with  hearty  good- 
fellowship  and  robust  health.  His  figure  was 
strong  and  manly,  and  his  bearing  dignified,  yet 
not  stiff.  Jim  Miller  took  special  notice  of  him 
on  this  occasion,  and  concluded  that  he  was  just 
the  kind  of  young  man  with  whom  he  could 


42  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

trust  his  child.  That  settled  it,  and  there  was 
never  any  question  raised  in  the  family  about 
Dixie  accepting  the  company  of  one  thus  ap- 
proved by  her  father. 

Marvin  Harris,  whose  father  was  a  retired 
capitalist,  was  also  at  the  station,  and  saw  the 
brightness  come  into  Dixie's  eyes  at  the  gentle 
words  of  Drury  Patterson,  and  a  pang  of  jealousy 
went  through  him.  Drury  had  beaten  him  in 
athletic  events,  scholarship,  and  morals,  and  was 
now  making  a  beginning  with  a  girl  he  had 
loved  ever  since  they  were  children  together. 
Watching  his  chance,  he  drew  near,  and,  after  a 
few  commonplace  remarks,  asked  Dixie  if  she 
would  go  to  the  lecture  with  him  the  next  night. 

"I  thank  you,  Marvin ;  but  I  have  an  engage- 
ment for  the  lecture." 

"I  did  not  know  your  parents  had  given  their 
consent  for  you  to  have  company." 

"They  never  had  before ;  but  I  had  never  asked 
them." 

"O,  so  you  asked  them  this  time,  did  you  ?" 

"Yes,"  demurely. 

"And  who  are  you  going  with?" 

"Drury  Patterson,"  Dixie  answered,  simply  and 
frankly. 

A  gleam  came  into  his  eyes  as  he  turned  them 
in  Drury's  direction,  and,  if  Dixie  had  been  look- 
ing, she  might  have  seen  the  malevolent  spirit 
mirrored  there,  as  he  remembered  that  John 
Patterson  was  under  heavy  financial  obligation 
to  his  father. 

"Well,"  he  said,  turning  back  to  the  girl,  "re- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  43 

member  me  the  next  time  there  is  anything 
doing,  Dixie.  I  would  be  glad  to  take  you  any- 
where." 

"All  right,  Marvin.  If  you  ask  me  some  time 
when  I  can  go,  and  I  have  no  other  engagement, 
I  will  accept  the  invitation  with  pleasure." 

Then,  Jim  Miller  came  and  gathered  his 
greatly  reduced  family  into  the  surrey  and  drove 
them  back  to  the  home  that  would  seem  so  lone- 
some for  many  days  to  come.  Some  friends 
came  in  to  enliven  the  dull  evening,  the  sun  went 
down  in  a  sea  of  gorgeous  color,  and  the  wed- 
ding-day of  the  Miller  twins  had  gone  into 
history.  It  remained  to  be  seen  whether  or  not 
the  superstitions  of  the  old  negro  nurse  were 
portentious. 


44  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   SUMMER    PASSES. 

The  summer  passed  by,  languidly  and  slowly. 
Jim  Miller  remained  at  the  ranch  most  of  the 
time ;  but  Mrs.  Miller  and  the  two  children  went 
to  the  Ozark  Mountains  to  escape  the  sultry 
days  of  July  and  August,  much  to  the  regret  of 
the  young  people  that  could  not  go  away  during 
the  heated  term-  There  was  no  home  in  the 
Tamalpias  Valley  that  was  so  attractive  to  those 
who  were  fortunate  enough  to  count  the  Millers 
among  their  friends. 

Letters  from  the  bride  were  frequent  and 
full  of  quaint  and  humorous  descriptions  ot  the 
people  and  places  wherever  they  went.  At  first 
Allie's  letters  were  filled  with  eulogies  of  Max- 
well Wright  and  his  people,  whom  they  visited 
on  their  way  North.  Then,  she  told  them  of 
the  cool  mountains  and  the  placid  lakes  of 
Ottawa  and  Ontario,  and  of  the  ferns  and 
mosses  along  the  brooks  where  Maxwell  caught 
trout  while  she  gathered  wild  flowers.  They 
were  camping  and  fishing,  boating  and  dreaming, 
in  the  most  romantic  way.  It  seemed  impos- 
sible that  such  happiness  could  ever  be  marred. 

There  was  always  praise  for  her  wonderful 
husband,  who  filled  her  horizon,  and  satisfied  every 
desire  of  her  feminine  heart. 

Jessie's  first  letter  was  mailed  from  New  York, 
and  was  only  a  newsy  note,  telling  of  their 
time  of  sailing  and  where  mail  was  to  reach  them 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  45 

on  the  Continent,  just  a  few  words  about  her 
happiness  and  the  gentle  care  of  her  big  hus- 
band. Then,  she  wrote  from  London,  and  it  was 
plain  that,  while  they  were  on  their  honeymoon, 
they  were  also  touring  and  sightseeing.  It  was 
refreshing  to  read  her  original  description  of 
London  Tower,  St.  Paul's,  St.  John's  Chapel, 
where  William  the  Conqueror  and  his  family 
used  to  have  family  prayer,  Madame  Tussand's 
Wax  Figures,  Hyde  Park,  Piccadilly,  and  West- 
minster Abbey.  Then,  there  were  exciting  and 
amusing  experiences  in  shopping,  and  getting 
lost  in  the  great  crowds- 

Dixie  read  all  this  with  a  dreamy  look  in  her 
eyes,  and  tried  to  imagine  herself  and  Drury 
Patterson  on  such  a  trip.  She  would  prefer  that 
to  "mooning"  in  Canada,  as  Allie  was  doing.  This 
feeling  grew  on  her  as  Jessie  wrote  from  gay 
Paris,  and  told  of  the  great  works  of  art  and  the 
beautiful  salons  and  museums.  But  it  was  Hol- 
land and  Switzerland  that  made  this  romantic 
desire  reach,  the  climax  of  a  firm  resolve  that 
some  day,  it  should  all  come  to  pass  that  she 
and  Drury  would  visit  the  islands  of  Zuyder 
Zee  and  watch  the  inhabitants  make  Edam 
cheese,  go  into  the  curious  little  Dutch  houses, 
and  lift  the  lids  of  the  pots  to  see  what  they 
were  cooking,  look  at  the  Bridal  Dresses  of 
Marken,  and  watch  the  wooden-shod  inhabitants 
march  to  church  by  twos.  She  did  not  approve 
of  Allie's  idle  dreaming;  she  was  not  dreaming 
her  life  away,  but  rather  having  visions  of  hap- 
piness and  activity  yet  to  come. 


46  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Thus  the  summer  passed ;  Allie  dreaming  and 
writing  of  her  amorous  husband,  Jessie  traveling 
in  Europe  and  evidently  enjoying  her  mate  as 
well  as  Allie,  but  saying  little  about  it,  Dixie 
resting  in  the  Ozarks  and  having  visions  of  the 
time  when  Drury  would  be  a  great  surgeon  and 
they  would  tour  the  world  together,  then  settle 
down  to  be  a  blessing  to  suffering  humanity.  Of 
course,  they  were  only  children  now;  but  they 
would  be  grown  in  three  or  four  years,  and  they 
were  going  to  be  true  to  each  other  forever. 

Meanwhile  Jack  was  building  muscle  by 
climbing  the  mountains  and  hunting  with  an 
old  mountaineer,  named  Sol  Trimble,  who  claimed 
to  be  the  ugliest  man  in  the  world.  His  skin 
was  a  reddish  purple,  and  hung  in  folds  and 
wrinkles  on  his  face  and  neck,  his  hair  was  a 
muddy  yellow,  and  his  eyes  were  so  nearly 
white  that  one  could  not  see  the  iris  at  first 
glance.  He  went  clean-shaven,  so  that  people 
could  appreciate  his  claim,  which  was  never 
challenged.  He  made  up  for  his  external  hide- 
ousness,  however,  by  having  a  sunny  disposi- 
tion and  a  ready  wit,  which  drew  around  him 
a  host  of  friends,  including  summer  boarders  as 
well  as  native  mountaineers.  Under  his  guid- 
ance, Jack  soon  became  an  expert  rifle  shot,  and 
threatened  to  know  the  mountain-trails  and  the 
haunts  of  game  as  well  as  "Old  Man  Sol." 

"By  crakies!"  exclaimed  the  latter,  one  day 
near  the  close  of  the  summer,  "ef  you'll  come 
up  here  ag'in  next  year,  we'll  fix  up  and  take  a  trip 
over  into  Baxter  and  Searcy  Counties,  an'  ef  I  don't 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  47 

show  you  sumpin'  in  the  way  of  big  game,  fish- 
ing, and  findin'  bee-trees,  I'll  let  my  whiskers 
grow  out  ag'in  and  give  up  the  champeenship 
fer  ugliness  to  that  pie-faced  feller  from  Saint 
Looey  that  has  allus  got  a  look  like  he  had  just 
heard  that  his  mother-in-law  was  a-coming  to 
visit  him.  You  shore  must  fetch  him  with  you 
ag'in,  Mis'  Miller;  he's  the  finest  chap  as  ever 
grew  outside  o'  Arkansaw." 

Jack  was  not  only  popular  with  the  old  hunter ; 
but  he  was  a  favorite  with  men  and  women,  and 
many  mothers  pointed  him  out  as  an  example 
and  ideal  for  their  sons. 

The  resort  at  which  they  stayed,  was  the 
highest  point  in  the  Ozarks  near  a  railroad.  In- 
deed, the  hotels  and  cottages  were  built  on  a 
high  ridge  through  which  a  long  tunnel  had 
been  made  for  the  railroad  to  cross  the  crest 
of  the  mountains.  To  the  south  could  be  seen 
beautiful  Blue  Canon,  where  the  trains  puffed 
and  snorted  as  they  wound  in  and  out  through 
the  cuts  and  over  the  high  bridges,  past  cliffs 
and  gulches  that  made  the  passengers  crane 
their  necks  from  the  windows  to  take  in  the 
beautiful  scenery.  It  was  one  of  Dixie's  diver- 
sions to  sit  on  a  large  rock  high  over  the  tunnel 
and  watch  the  steam  rise  from  the  distant  train, 
then  strain  her  ears  to  catch  the  echoes  of  the 
shrill  whistle  some  moments  later;  or  to  sit 
there  at  night,  and  trace  the  progress  of  the 
"Night  Express"  as  the  electric  headlight  shot 
its  rays  into  the  darkness,  reminding  her  of  the 
tail  of  a  comet.  At  last,  there  would  be  the 


48  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

deafening  puffing  of  the  monster  engines,  then 
the  trembling  of  the  earth,  as  the  train  entered 
the  tunnel.  Then  she  would  get  up  and  climb 
quickly  to  the  top  of  the  ridge  in  time  to  see  the 
lights  emerge  from  the  other  end  of  the  tunnel, 
and  hear  the  grinding  of  the  wheels  as  the  train 
came  to  a  stop  at  the  little  station  for  a  few 
moments,  and  then  sped  like  a  specter  of  the 
night  through  the  valley  to  the  north,  the 
whistle  screeching  alarms  that  echoed  and  re- 
echoed until  they  died  away  in  harmony  with 
the  medley  of  the  crickets  and  katydids. 

When  summer  was  ended,  and  they  re- 
turned to  Tamalpias  with  the  priceless  treasure 
of  health  and  vigor,  Jim  Miller  saw  at  a  glance 
that  Dixie  was  no  longer  a  child,  but  that  she 
was  a  most  beautiful  young  lady,  and  the 
thought  came  to  him,  accompanied  by  a  keen 
pain,  that  she  would  soon  slip  out  of  his  home  to 
make  one  of  her  own. 

Drury  Patterson  was  also  at  the  station,  and 
there  was  a  sparkle  in  his  eye  and  a  tinge  of  red 
on  his  cheek  as  he  caught  sight  of  the  beautiful 
young  woman,  whose  two  or  three  letters  were  in 
his  pocket  very  near  to  his  heart.  Whether  it  was 
accident  or  intention,  he  found  himself  suddenly 
displaced,  and  he  saw  Marvin  Harris  take  Dixie's 
umbrella,  lift  her  into  his  waiting  carriage,  and 
drive  her  away  without  even  waiting  for  her  to 
speak  to  the  few  friends  that  were  there.  Jim 
Miller  saw  the  episode  and  did  not  know  whether 
to  be  displeased  or  amused;  but,  seeing  Drury's 
smiling  face  as  he  came  to  welcome  Mrs.  Miller 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  49 

and  Jack,  he  decided  that,  after  all,  it  was  only  a 
schoolboy  affair,  and  he  dismissed  it  from  his 
mind. 

But  Marvin  Harris  was  taking  all  the  advan- 
tage his  little  coup  afforded  him.  His  plan  had 
succeeded  splendidly,  and  he  was  not  slow  to 
improve  his  opportunity-  He  soon  brought  his 
horse  to  a  walk  and  began  to  talk  seriously. 

"This  has  been  a  long,  dreary  summer,  Dixie 
I  have  been  miserably  lonesome,  and  I  can  not 
bring  myself  to  think  of  the  winter  with  you* 
gone  from  town.  I  have  always  been  fond  of 
you;  but  this  absence  has  revealed  to  me  what  life 
would  be  without  you,  and  I  am  taking  this  oppor- 
tunity to  tell  you  of  my  love,  because  you  are  to 
leave  for  college  next  week.  I  may  not  get  another 
chance.  Tell  me  that  you  care  just  a  little  for 
me,  Dixie." 

"I  am  sorry  you  have  said  this,  Marvin;  for 
I  am  sure  I  can  not  discuss  the  matter  now.  My 
preparation  for  life  and  other  matters  make  it 
out  of  the  question  for  me  seriously  to  consider 
such  a  proposition." 

"Come  now,  Dixie,  you  can't  put  me  off  like 
that.  I  know  that  your  soul  has  awakened,  and 
that  the  question  of  marrying  is  not  altogether 
hateful  to  you.  Is  there  any  one  else?  Wouldn't 
you  discuss  this  question  with  Drury?  Ah,  I 
see  the  blushes  come  to  your  cheeks.  And  I 
have  suspected  that  he  was  writing  to  you  while 
you  were  gone.  But  I  want  to  tell  you  now  that 
you  shall  never  marry  that  son  of  a  low-down 
drunkard  if  I  can  prevent  it,  and  I  think  I  can." 


50  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Marvin,  I  did  not  suspect  you  were  so  jeal- 
ous, nor  that  you  would  taunt  me  in  this  way 
And  I  remind  you  that  I  have  a  father  who  is 
able  to  advise  and  protect  me  at  all  times  with- 
out your  interference  or  assistance." 

"Yes,  I  am  jealous,  and  I  don't  care  who  knows 
it.  I  have  loved  you  ever  since  you  were  a  little 
girl,  and,  when  I  used  to  call  you  my  little  sweet- 
heart, you  did  not  resent  it;  and,  now  that  you 
are  a  stunningly  beautiful  young  lady,  you  must 
consider  my  claims  to  a  place  in  your  heart. 
Don't  turn  from  me  like  that.  You  are  to  be 
my  wife  some  day.  Come,  give  me  a  smile  at 
least." 

Dixie  was  saved  further  embarrassment  by 
their  arrival  at  home,  and  the  pleasant  surprise 
of  some  waiting  friends,  who  had  come  to  wel- 
come them.  It  was  a  happy  occasion,  except  that 
the  family  missed  the  twins  more  than  ever. 
There  were  letters  from  Maury  and  Jessie,  say- 
ing that  they  would  be  at  home  within  two 
weeks.  There  was  one  letter  from  Allie,  telling 
them  that  she  was  ill  at  her  new  home  in  New 
York,  but  that  her  physician  was  hopeful,  and 
that  she  expected  to  be  well  enough  to  come  to  them 
at  Christmas. 

The  following  week  was  a  round  of  receptions 
and  parties  in  honor  of  returning  tourists  and 
departing  students.  The  Miller  home  was  the 
scene  of  one  of  the  gayest  of  all  these  entertain- 
ments Thursday  night,  when  Dixie  was  given  a 
party  to  which  all  her  old  schoolmates  came 
that  they  might  bid  her  farewell,  as  she  would 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  51 

leave  the  following  Monday  for  college.  So 
many  were  the  claims  on  her  time  that  Drury 
did  not  get  to  see  her  alone  long  enough  to  tell 
her  the  message  that  burned  in  his  breast;  but 
she  promised  him  a  few  hours  on  Sunday  after- 
noon. The  promise  was  not  given  too  soon,  for 
Marvin  came  to  her  a  few  minutes  later,  and  asked 
the  privilege  of  calling  at  that  very  time.  When 
she  told  him  she  had  an  engagement,  he  became 
furious,  and  grasped  her  arm  until  the  tears  came  to 
her  eyes,  as  he  almost  hissed: 

"You  had  better  remember  what  I  told  you 
about  that  low-born  scamp.  He  is  not  fit  to 
look  at  you,  much  less  to  marry  you." 

"Low-born  or  not,  he  is  a  gentleman,  and  I 
am  sure  he  would  not  offer  both  insult  and  injury 
to  a  girl  as  you  are  doing.  I  am  ashamed  of 
you !" 

"Forgive  me  if  I  have  seemed  to  offer  you 
either,  Dixie.  It  is  only  my  love  for  you  that 
makes  me  so  intense." 

"It  is  certainly  a  queer  way  to  show  love." 

"When  you  know  what  love  is,  you  will  think 
better  of  me-  I  want  you  to  promise  to  write 
to  me  sometimes." 

"I  really  can  not  do  that,  as  I  do  not  know 
how  much  liberty  and  time  I  will  have  for  corre- 
spondence. If  you  mean  to  ask  me  to  take  up  a 
sentimental  correspondence  with  you,  I  answer  you 
frankly  that  I  can't  do  that  under  any  circum- 
stances." 

"Why?" 

"For  reasons  of  my  own." 

"Can  you  tell  me  truthfully  that  you  will  not 


52  JTM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

undertake  such  correspondence  with  Drury  Pat- 
terson ?" 

"Mr.  Harris,  what  right  have  you  to  institute 
an  inquisition  into  what  I  shall  or  shall  not  do? 
I  resent  your  impudence,  and  I  will  thank  you  to 
cease  referring  to  Drury  Patterson  in  this  way. 
I  should  dislike  to  have  to  call  my  father  to  my 
defense." 

"Mr.  Harris!  Well,  I  like  that.  Here  I  have 
known  you  since  you  were  a  baby ;  we  have 
played  together  all  our  lives,  and  you  call  me 
Mr.  Harris!  Come  now,  Dixie,  this  won't  do; 
we  must  be  friends." 

"You  are  five  years  older  than  I,  and  your  con- 
duct demands  that  I  treat  you  as  a  mere  ac- 
quaintance, so  I  shall  continue  to  refer  to>  you  in 
a  conventional  way." 

"Very  well,  Dixie,  but  remember  the  day  will 
come  when  you  will  call  me  by  a  more  familiar 
name  or  wish  that  you  could-" 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  that  you  are  either  to  be  my  wife,  or 
we  are  to  be  the  worst  enemies  in  the  world.  Love 
like  mine  must  either  be  requited,  or  it  turns  to  im- 
placable hatred." 

There  was  such  a  determined  look  in  his  eyes 
that  Dixie  went  pale  and  turned  sick  at  heart. 
Visions  of  harm  to  herself,  or  worse,  to  Drury, 
flitted  before  her,  and  he  saw  it  and  smiled.  As  he 
turned  away,  he  bent  over  her  and  said  in  a  low, 
thrilling  voice: 

"Your  happiness  and  mine  are  in  your  own 
hand ;  and  I  swear  to  you  that  we  are  to  be 
happy  or  miserable  together." 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  53 

CHAPTER  V. 

GATHERING   CLOUDS. 

It  was  Christmastide,  and  Dixie  was  at  home 
for  the  holidays.  The  day  before  Christmas,  she 
was  at  Jessie's  new  home,  a  California  cottage 
that  had  been  built  for  them  while  they  were  in 
Europe,  and  was  listening  to  her  sister's  graphic 
accounts  of  the  wonderland  of  the  Old  World. 
I*  was  almost  like  a  real  trip  to  hear  Jessie  re- 
count the  things  she  had  seen  and  the  incidents 
along  the  way.  Finally,  the  conversation  turned 
to  Allie. 

"I  am  so  sorry  Allie  could  not  come  this 
Christmas,"  Dixie  was  saying.  "It  seems  an  age 
since  she  went  away.  And  to  see  you  here  with- 
out her  makes  her  absence  more  keenly  realized." 

"Yes,  Dixie ;  but  you  can  scarcely  feel  as  I  do 
about  it,  because  I  was  never  away  from  her  be- 
fore. While  I  was  abroad,  the  excitement  ana 
the  new  experience  of  Maury's  company  kept 
me  busy ;  but  since  coming  home,  I  have  been 
so  lonesome  without  her,  I  am  really  nervous. 
And  I  am  alarmed  about  her  health.  She  has 
always  been  the  stronger  of  the  two,  and  I  was 
sure  she  would  be  benefited  by  the  summer  in 
Canada ;  but  her  illness  seems  to  be  serious.  I 
wish  she  could  come  home  and  let  Dr.  McCon- 
nell  treat  her;  I  am  sure  he  could  cure  her." 

"O,  I  am  sure  she  is  not  very  ill.  She  wrote 
Mother  this  week  that  she  was  able  to  ride  out 
each  day,  but  that  she  did  not  feel  equal  to  the 


54  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

long  ride  on  the  cars.  I  hope  she  will  be  all 
right  soon,  and  she  is  coming  as  soon  as  she  can 
stand  the  trip." 

Their  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the 
arrival  of  Maury.  Dixie  caught  her  breath  as 
she  saw  his  happy  face  wreathed  in  a  glorious 
smile  as  he  caught  Jessie  in  his  strong  arms  and 
kissed  her  face  and  her  hair.  He  was  the  very 
picture  of  manhood,  and  his  happiness  made  him 
as  handsome  as  Dixie  had  dreamed  Drury  Patter- 
son would  be,  when  he  attained  perfect  manhood. 

"Excuse  me,  dear,  I  must  give  the  workmen 
some  instructions  about  that  garage.  Here  is 
a  letter  that  you  will  want  to  read  while  I  am 
out,"  and  he  kissed  her  again,  and  handed  Jessie 
a  letter. 

"From  Allie!" 

As  she  read,  her  face  clouded,  and  her  breath 
came  in  gasps. 

"What  is  it,  Sister?"  Dixie  asked. 

"Oh,  she  is  worse,  and  she  fears  an  operation 
will  have  to  be  performed  before  she  will  ever 
get  well.  I  do  wish  she  was  at  home.  I  am  going 
to  write  her  at  once  to  come  home  and  let  us 
nurse  her,  and  Dr.  McConnell  will  cure  her,  I 
am  sure." 

Every  member  of  the  Miller  family  believed 
in  Dr.  McConnell.  The  fact  that  he  was  on  his 
way  to  the  bedside  of  a  sick  one  gave  hope  and 
cheer,  and  even  the  negroes  on  the  ranch  began 
to  improve  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  Doctor's 
gray  horse  being  hitched  in  front  of  their  doors. 
Indeed,  the  old  physician  had  treated  the  family 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  55 

for  so  many  years  that  he  knew  their  predisposi- 
tions and  temperaments  better  than  they  knew 
them  themselves,  and  that  is  no  mean  advantage 
in  medical  science. 

The  holidays  passed  swiftly  for  Dixie.  She 
went  to  several  "parties,"  as  the  social  gather- 
ings in  that  section  are  called,  and  was  always  a 
favorite  with  both  girls  and  boys.  Drury  Pat- 
terson had  not  returned  from  school,  and  Mar- 
vin Harris  took  advantage  of  that  fact  to  impose 
his  company  on  Dixie  as  much  as  he  dared.  He 
was  more  gentle  and  considerate  than  he  had 
been  before.  Drury's  name  was  not  mentioned 
between  them  until  the  day  Dixie  started  back 
to  college,  when  Marvin  asked, 

"I  suppose  you  know  that  Drury  Patterson's 
father  had  delirium  tremens  yesterday,  and  is  al- 
most dead?" 

"No,  I  had  not  heard  that.  I  am  sorry,  and  hope 
he  will  recover  and  give  up  his  habit." 

"He  may  recover,  but  he  will  never  give  up> 
his  drink.  And  his  son  will  most  surely  follow 
in  his  tracks.  I  have  been  reading  some  articles 
on  heredity,  and  all  the  specialists  say  that  a 
drunkard  imparts  his  appetite  for  strong  drink 
to  his  children.  It  would  not  surprise  me  to  hear 
that  Drury  has  fallen,  and,  when  he  does,  he  will 
go  quick;  they  always  do." 

"Don't  you  think  you  are  uncharitable  to  sup- 
pose that  Drury  has  no  will-power  of  his  own? 
I  do  not  believe  for  a  moment  that  he  will  ever 
take  to  drink." 

"No,  you  are  prejudiced  in  his  favor;  but  time 


56  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

will  tell."  There  was  that  in  his  voice  and  man- 
ner that  told  plainly  that  he  hoped  his  implied 
prophecy  would  come  true;  also,  he  revealed  his 
old  jealousy,  and  this  stung  Dixie  into  silence. 

When  she  was  alone  on  the  train,  there  came 
to  her  a  dread  fear  that  all  he  had  said  might 
be  true.  She  had  read  something  like  that  her- 
self, and  she  determined  to  make  investigation 
along  that  line.  The  newsboy,  with  his  armlul 
of  magazines,  suggested  that  perhaps  she  could 
find  something  in  a  current  publication  that 
would  throw  light  on  this  terrible  problem.  Nor 
was  she  disappointed.  The  first  magazine  she 
opened  had  an  article  entitled  "Is  Alcoholism 
Hereditary?"  The  author  was  a  noted  physician, 
and  he  quoted  from  many  authorities  to  prove 
his  contention,  and  finally  summed  the  matter 
up  with  this  startling  declaration: 

"It  is  a  fact  in  science  that  the  families  of 
drunkards  do  not  live  beyond  the  fourth  genera- 
tion. In  the  first  generation,  there  is  found  moral 
depravity  and  alcoholic  excess;  in  the  second 
generation,  drunkenness  and  maniacal  outbursts, 
delirium  tremens ;  in  the  third  generation,  melan- 
cholia and  impulsive  ideas,  especially  bloodthirst 
and  murder;  in  the  fourth  generation,  the  im- 
becile and  the  idiot  appear,  and  the  family  be- 
comes extinct." 

The  book  fell  from  her  hand  and  she  shook 
as  with  an  ague.  No  greater  shock  could  have 
come  to  a  young  woman  than  this.  She  looked 
about,  but  there  was  no  one  on  the  car  that  she 
knew-  She  almost  screamed  out  with  the  pain 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  57 

that  gnawed  at  her  heart.  Drury  Patterson  was 
the  child  of  a  drunkard ;  he  was  doomed  to  be- 
come a  victim  of  this  terrible  habit.  But  he  was 
now  a  grown  man,  and  the  appetite  had  not  devel- 
oped in  him.  Surely,  there  was  a  mistake,  or  he 
was  the  exception  that  proved  the  rule.  Yes,  that 
must  be  it.  She  had  heard  Doctor  McConnell  say 
something  like  that,  and  she  comforted  herself  with 
the  thought.  Two  men  seated  in  front  of  her  were 
talking  loudly,  and,  now,  she  heard  one  of  them  say, 
very  distinctly : 

"I  do  not  agree  with  you  at  all.  In  my  exper- 
ience as  a  physician,  I  find  that  more  harm  has 
been  done  by  the  articles  printed  in  the  maga- 
zines than  there  has  been  good  accomplished.  I 
grant  you  that  some  of  the  articles  are  written 
by  competent  men,  and  some  of  them,  indeed 
many  of  them,  are  correct.  But  the  general  pub- 
lic is  not  able  to  interpret  them,  and  opinions 
and  prejudices  are  formed  that  are  unjust  and 
incorrect.  Take,  for  instance,  the  current  articles 
on  tuberculosis ;  all  good,  but  only  the  alphabet 
given  the  public,  and  the  readers  think  they  are 
graduates,  and  will  never  need  the  advice  of  a 
competent  doctor  on  the  subject." 

"Well,  I  am  not  a  doctor,  but  I  do  believe 
that  our  hope  lies  in  giving  publicity  to  the 
facts.  At  least,  the  intelligent  people  will  give 
heed,  and  they  will  be  the  first  to  seek  further  help 
from  you  doctors." 

"But,  while  that  is  true,  young  people  are 
reading  these  articles,  and  are  becoming  need- 


58  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

lessly  alarmed  in  regard  to  things  of  which  they 
can  know  little  or  nothing." 

Dixie  wanted  to  hear  more,  but  at  this 
point,  the  two  men  had  reached  their  destina- 
tion, and  she  was  left  to  the  conflict  of  her  fears, 
and  her  hope  that  Drury  was  a  notable  excep- 
tion to  the  rule  of  heredity.  She  realized  now  that 
she  loved  him  with  all  her  heart,  and  that  heart 
kept  saying: 

"He  is  all  right;  he  is  different  from  other 
men;  he  surpasses  others  in  will-power,  and 
will  never  fall  like  a  weakling.  No,  Drury  will 
never  drink;  he  loves  me  too  well  to  do  anything 
like  that.  I  wish  Marvin  had  not  told  me  all 
that.  His  father  is  such  a  paragon  of  morality 
and  temperance  in  all  things  that  he  delighted 
to  have  me  compare  him  and  Mr.  Patterson.  But 
one  would  think  Drury  the  son  of  such  a  man 
as  Mr-  Harris,  rather  than  of  John  Patterson, 
and  Marvin  is  scarcely  a  duplicate  of  the  older 
Harris.  I  just  know  it  is  all  a  mistake.  But  I 
am  going  to  write  to  Drury  and  ask  him  to  shun 
temptation  if  it  ever  comes  his  way." 

On  and  on,  in  the  way  of  the  love-lorn  maiden, 
she  communed  with  her  heart  until  the  train  reached 
the  college  town  of  Traskwood. 

When  he  had  told  her  of  Mr-  Patterson's  at- 
tack of  delirium  tremens,  Marvin  Harris  had  no- 
ticed the  sudden  paling  of  Dixie's  face,  and,  that 
very  night,  he  wrote  a  dissolute  friend,  who  was 
at  the  State  University,  and  told  him  he  wanted 
him  to  cultivate  Drury  Patterson,  and  "show 
him  a  good  time,"  but  never  to  mention  that  it 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  59 

was  at  his  request.  Tom  Murdock  lost  no  time 
in  hunting  up  Drury  and  getting  a  lot  of  the 
"bunch"  to  try  to  lure  him  out  for  "a  night  off." 

It  is  quite  possible  that  Drury  would  have  joined 
them  in  what  he  supposed  was  an  innocent 
"lark,"  had  he  not  received  an  extraordinary 
letter  from  Dixie,  in  which  she  requested  him 
to  beware  of  getting  in  the  way  of  temptation 
that  might  be  hard  to  resist.  She  was  very  plain, 
and  told  him  that  he  had  a  harder  battle  to  fight 
than  if  his  father  was  a  temperate  man ;  and  it 
must  be  set  down  to  Drury's  credit  that  he  did 
not  resent  her  plain  words,  but  rather  appreciated 
them.  Later  on,  however,  he  did  go  with  the 
"fellows"  on  a  Saturday  trip  to  the  Coast,  and 
he  found  that  they  were  all  wind  and  dissipated. 
But  he  found  the  taste,  and  even  the  smell,  of 
drink  so  obnoxious  that  it  was  no  temptation  to 
him.  The  worst  task  was  to  resist  doing  that 
which  was  really  distasteful  to  keep  from  of- 
fending his  comrades.  But  he  was  firm,  and  told 
them  it  was  both  a  physical  and  a  moral  ques- 
tion with  him.  Nor  could  he  understand  why 
he  did  not  like  the  drink,  when  his  father  used 
it,  and  he  had  been  fed  "toddy"  in  babyhood. 

In  the  meantime,  letters  brought  the  news 
that  Allie  was  worse  and  that  the  attending 
physician  was  insisting  on  an  immediate  opera- 
tion. Jessie  went  East  to  be  with  her,  and,  in 
March  the  parents  followed,  in  answer  to  a  tele- 
gram, and  they  took  Dr.  McConnell  with  them. 

Mrs.  Miller  could  not  repress  the  sobs  as  she 
saw  the  colorless  face  of  her  child  among  the 


60  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

pillows.  All  she  had  written  about  the  luxury 
that  surrounded  her  had  failed  to  prepare  them 
for  what  they  beheld.  Everything  that  could  de- 
light the  eye  or  please  the  senses  was  made  to 
contribute  to  the  loveliness  of  Maxwell  Wright's 
palatial  residence.  Tapestries  and  hangings, 
statuary  and  art,  fountains  and  flowers,  musical 
instruments  and  pets,  landscape  and  architec- 
ture, were  the  realized  dream  of  artist  and  artisan. 
Servants  were  at  every  turn,  and  two  trained 
nurses  were  in  attendance  on  the  invalid.  Mr. 
Wright's  parents  were  the  dearest  couple  the 
Millers  had  ever  met,  and  the  pain  in  Jim  Miller's 
heart  was  somewhat  eased  at  this  revelation  of 
the  care  and  luxury  that  surrounded  his  child. 

After  consultation,  it  was  decided  that  the 
patient  should  have  two  weeks  of  special  treat- 
ment before  the  operation  should  be  attempted. 
The  longer  the  Millers  stayed,  the  better  they 
liked  their  daughter's  relatives.  They  were  lead- 
ing people  in  the  town,  and  were  universally 
liked,  the  elder  Mr.  Wright  being  a  popular  law- 
yer, and  his  wife  a  noted  church-worker  and  di- 
rector of  several  charities.  Maxwell  had  been 
wild,  but  had  settled  into  a  very  sedate  life  since 
his  marriage,  and  was  proving  his  ability  as  a 
business  man  and  a  money-maker. 

Mrs.  Wright  gave  one  the  impression  that  she 
had  a  great  sorrow  in  her  life,  and,  within  a 
week,  she  took  Mrs.  Miller  into  her  confidence 
and  told  her  the  story : 

"Mr.  Wright  was  at  his  office  late  one  night 
and  walked  home.  It  was  winter,  and  a  heavy 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  61 

snow  was  on  the  ground.  As  he  passed  a  corner 
store,  three  blocks  from  our  home,  he  saw  a 
little  girl  leaning  against  the  wall,  and  she  was 
sobbing  as  she  shivered  in  the  cold-  He  asked 
her  why  she  did  not  run  home,  and  she  said  she 
had  no  home.  In  reply  to  his  questions,  she  lold 
him  that  her  parents  were  both  dead  and  she 
had  been  left  in  the  town  by  a  woman  with  whom 
she  had  lived  for  two  years.  He  brought  her 
home,  dirty,  ragged,  cold,  and  nearly  sick.  But, 
when  she  was  well,  and  I  had  gotten  her  skin 
healed  and  her  hair  brushed  she  was  the  pret- 
tiest child  I  have  ever  seen.  She  was  about 
eleven  years  old  then,  and  she  quickly  grew  in- 
to our  hearts  and  we  into  hers.  T  had  but  the 
one  child,  and  this  girl  seemed  to  fill  a  place  in 
my  life  that  had  been  empty.  We  sent  her  to 
school,  and  she  grew  to  womanhood  under  our 
care-  Then,  an  awful  day  came :  she  met  a 
woman  on  the  street,  and  was  recognized.  The 
woman  was  her  sister,  whom  she  had  never 
seen.  She  proved  her  relationship.  Surely  blood 
is  thicker  than  water,  and  it  will  tell.  Almost  be- 
fore we  knew  it,  my  child  had  learned  the  ways  of 
her  wicked  sister. 

"One  day,  while  I  was  packing  her  clothes  in 
a  trunk,  she  came  in  and  sat  on  the  arm  of  the 
rocker  in  which  Mr.  Wright  sat,  put  her  arm 
around  his  neck,  and  sobbed  out:  'Papa,  I  wish 
I  was  dead !' 

"He  replied :  'I  do  too,  Mollie.' 

"I  really  wish  she  had  died  the  night  he  found 
her.  Our  hearts  were  broken ;  but  we  could  do 


62  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

nothing  except  give  her  over  to  the  sister,  who 
had  ruined  her.  We  told  her  that  if  we  could 
ever  help  her  to  call  on  us  and  we  would  do 
what  we  could.  Five  years  passed  by.  Then,  a 
telegram  came,  asking  us  to  come  to  her.  We 
did  not  get  there  before  she  died.  Oh,  it  was 
in  a  jail,  and  she  lies  buried  in  a  grave  of  shame 
— shame  into  which  she  was  sold  by  her  own 
sister." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  story  melted  the 
heart  of  the  woman  whose  child  lay  in  the  next 
room  so  near  to  death's  door;  and  only  God 
knows  how  much  this  grief  softened  the  hearts 
of  the  Millers  toward  the  Wrights  in  the  com- 
ing months  and  years.  Knowledge  of  another's 
sorrow  gives  us  charity  for  their  faults,  and  it 
is  grief  that  makes  all  mankind  kin. 

It  was  the  middle  of  April  when  Allie  was  re- 
moved to  the  sanitarium  for  the  crucial  ordeal 
that  was  ultimately  to  mean  life  or  death  for 
her.  The  snows  of  winter  had  given  way  to  the 
breath  of  spring,  and  the  fragrance  of  lilacs  and 
cherry-blossoms  filled  the  air.  Life  was  abound- 
ing everywhere,  and  all  were  full  of  hope  that 
the  invalid  would  recover  in  a  very  short  time. 
Dr.  McConnell  said  little,  but  that  little  kept  the 
parents  hoping  and  praying  that  their  child 
would  survive  and  fully  recover. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  63 

CHAPTER  VI. 

IN   THE  VALLEY  OF   SHADOWS. 

If  it  was  not  for  the  Valley  of  Shadows,  there 
would  be  no  tragedies  in  life.  We  could  have 
poetry  and  art  without  the  Valley  of  Shadows; 
but  drama  and  tragedy  would  be  insipid,  indeed, 
without  exquisite  pain  and  heroic  suffering. 
Men  may  not  believe  in  vicarious  suffering,  but 
that  is  because  they  have  not  stopped  to  analyze 
the  real  tragedies  of  life.  And  where  will  you 
find  such  a  garden  of  tragedies  as  under  the 
somber  roof  of  a  great  hospital?  If  the  angels 
that  hover  over  the  unconscious  forms,  and  peep 
over  the  shoulders  of  nurse  and  surgeon,  could 
write  what  they  see  and  hear,  their  stories  would 
break  the  heart  of  every  reader,  and  the  world 
would  be  the  better  for  the  sympathies  thus 
awakened.  Nor  is  it  any  sordid  purpose  that 
records  these  lines  as  we  follow  one  of  the 
Miller  twins  down  into  the  Valley. 

One  after  another,  the  tables  were  wheeled  into 
the  mysterious  room,  where  the  great  surgeon 
was  performing  real  miracles  of  healing.  Below, 
in  the  beautiful  parlor,  six  people  sat  in  silence, 
save  that  there  escaped  a  few  whispered  words 
from  the  two  elderly  women,  an  occasional  groan 
from  one  of  the  three  men,  and  a  smothered  sob 
from  Jessie.  Maxwell  sat  like  a  statue,  but  one 
could  see  he  was  suffering  most  keenly.  Jessie 
watched  the  clock  on  the  ornamental  brick 
mantel,  and,  when  it  marked  eleven,  her  sobs 


64  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

increased ;  that  was  the  hour  set  for  the  tragedy 
on  the  fourth  floor.  Maxwell  rose  and  walked 
out  of  the  room  to  the  corridor,  and  his  father 
followed  him ;  Jim  Miller  sat  with  his  face  in  his 
hands,  and  mastered  his  grief  only  for  the  sake 
of  the  wife  of  his  youth,  who  was  really  under 
better  self-control  than  any  other  member  of  the 
sad  company. 

It  was  high  noon  when  a  nurse  entered  the 
parlor  and  told  them  the  Valley  had  been  passed, 
and  that  they  could  take  a  peep  at  the  patient 
through  the  open  door  of  the  room  to  which  she 
had  been  removed  on  the  second  floor.  Here, 
they  found  the  old  Doctor  in  close  attendance, 
and  a  special  nurse,  who  had  been  detailed  for 
service  during  the  day.  Allie's  limp  form  lay 
on  the  white  bed,  and  it  would  be  two  or  three 
hours  before  she  recovered  consciousness,  and 
would  be  entirely  out  of  the  Valley ;  but  Dr. 
McConnell  whispered  to  Jim  that  the  operation 
had  been  successful,  and  that  he  had  never  seen 
a  finer  surgeon  than  Dr.  Duncan.  He  added, 
however,  that  it  would  be  several  days  before 
definite  promise  of  the  future  could  be  made. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  party  visited  the 
sick-room,  and  the  meeting  between  the  twins 
was  pathetic  in  the  extreme,  while  that  between 
husband  and  wife  was  so  sublime  that  the  Mil- 
lers had  final  proof  of  the  love  of  both.  Dr. 
McConnell  said  later  that  he  had  never  seen  a 
more  tender  and  lovable  husband  in  his  life ;  and 
the  visit  seemed  to  prove  a  tonic  to  the  patient. 

But   days   multiplied   into   weeks   before   the 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  65 

physicians  would  consent  for  Allie  to  undertake 
the  trip  to  the  old  home,  and  it  was  the  last  of 
May  when  the  party  arrived  at  Tamalpias,  and 
once  more  the  whole  family  was  under  the  Miller 
roof  at  the  same  time.  Old  Rilla  was  always  on 
hand,  and  was  jealous  of  the  trained  nurse  that 
had  come  with  them;  she  knew  she  could  take 
better  care  of  her  "baby-chile"  than  any  white 
nurse  could.  Allie  improved  very  slowly,  and 
it  was  decided  to  take  her  to  Colorado  for  the 
summer,  and  Rilla  was  in  the  heights  of  ecstasy 
when  told  that  she  was  to  go  with  them  to 
nurse  the  invalid. 

"Thar,  now,"  she  said,  "I  knowed  that  white 
nuss  doan  know  how  ter  nuss  my  angel-twin ; 
do  she,  honey?  I's  jes'  gwin  ter  git  you  well  in 
a  minit,  I  is.  I's  gwine  ter  git  some  yarbs,  and 
make  some  tea,  and  you  shore  is  gwine  ter  be 
well  right  off." 

Maxwell's  attention  was  unceasing  and  tender. 
He  seemed  to  realize  that  Allie  was  not  to  stay 
with  him  long,  and  he  made  the  most  of  her 
company.  She  was  uncomplaining  and  patient 
at  all  times,  and  showed  more  consideration  for 
the  comfort  and  pleasure  of  others  than  she  had 
ever  done  before.  She  soon  discovered  the  status 
of  affairs  between  Dixie  and  Drury,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  winning  the  confidence  of  both.  She 
laughed  at  Dixie's  fears  until  Dixie  felt  that  she 
had  wronged  Drury  even  to  think  of  such  a  thing 
as  his  ever  yielding  to  an  appetite  for  strong 
drink,  if  he  should  discover  that  he  had  one. 

It  was  while  they  were  sitting  on  a  large  rock, 


66  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

gazing  at  the  mountain-peaks  of  the  Great  Di- 
vide, that  Allie  told  Maxwell  of  her  dreams. 
She  was  leaning  against  him,  and  pulled  the 
great  shawl  closer  about  her  as  she  said: 

"Darling,  I  never  did  tell  you  about  the  dreams 
I  had  before  we  were  married.  I  dreamed  so 
often  that  we  were  driving,  and  that  you  got 
out  to  open  a  gate  or  something;  the  horse  be- 
came fretful  and  ran  away  with  me,  and  I  always 
awoke  just  as  the  horse  was  getting  entirely 
beyond  my  control.  And,  the  day  of  the  opera- 
tion, as  I  went  under  the  influence  of  the  anes- 
thetic, I  dreamed  it  all  over  again  just  the  same 
way,  and  I  became  conscious  again  just  as  the  horse 
seemed  to  be  plunging  off  a  high  precipice." 

"I  am  so  glad  you  returned  to  me  before  the 
horse  did  plunge;  and  I  wish  you  could  know 
how  it  hurt  me  that  I  could  not  suffer  for  you, 
my  precious  wife.  I  never  realized  before  what 
suffering  is ;  I  have  always  been  well,  and  I  have 
never  seen  suffering;  but  I  did  suffer  with  you. 
I  do  so  much  want  you  to  get  well  and  let  me 
make  your  life  a  round  of  happiness.  My  love 
nas  been  a  selfish  one ;  now,  it  is  your  pleasure 
I  shall  seek." 

"How  you  make  me  want  to  get  well !  I  will 
If  I  can ;  but  I  feel  my  strength  slipping  from  me, 
and  I  can  not  get  the  inspiration  of  hope  that  I 
am  going  to  get  well,  at  all.  Really,  I  feel  some- 
times that  I  shall  not  be  with  you  much  longer,  my 
sweet  boy.  There,  don't  let  those  tears  fall  that 
way.  I  haven't  given  up,  and  I  shall  try  harder 
after  this  little  talk;  but,  if  I  do  go,  I  want  you 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  67 

to  be  brave  and  useful.  My  own  poor  life  has 
never  been  serviceable,  and  my  sincere  wish  is 
that  my  boy  be  of  real  service  in  the  world." 

"I  will,  darling;  but  don't  think  such  thoughts 
and  you  will  get  well  easier.  Now,  let  me  carry 
you  back  to  the  cottage." 

It  seemed  that,  after  this,  she  did  improve  very 
rapidly.  She  even  walked  some  distance  along 
the  mountainside,  and  Rilla  declared  that  it  was 
the  "yarb-tea"  she  was  giving  her  that  was 
bringing  her  back  to  health.  But  the  invalid 
was  tortured  by  pains  of  which  she  did  not 
speak,  lest  the  knowledge  would  bring  her  hus- 
band sadness  and  anxiety  that  was  even  now 
telling  on  his  own  health. 

In  July,  Maury  and  Jessie  came  to  the  moun- 
tains, and  the  reunion  did  both  the  twins  good. 
Jessie  had -a  new  secret  to  impart  to  Allie  that 
made  both  smile;  but,  later,  Allie  grew  pensive 
as  she  watched  the  busy  fingers  of  her  devoted 
sister  working  over  embroideries  and  fine  linen. 

The  two  brothers-in-law  had  opportunity  to 
get  acquainted  and  to  exchange  confidences,  and 
they  found  themselves  more  closely  drawn  to 
each  other  than  either  had  imagined  possible. 
Maury  told  Jessie  that  he  was  continually  sur- 
prised at  the  change  that  had  come  over  Max- 
well ;  he  was  more  gentle  and  serious,  and  he 
no  longer  cared  for  the  fast  life  he  had  formerly 
lived.  His  tenderness  toward  Allie  was  so 
marked  that  Jessie  apologized  to  her  for  her 
former  fear  that  he  would  some  day  tire  of  her. 

"I  am  glad  you  have  come  to  know  him  as  I 


68  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

knew  him  all  along.  He  is  the  very  best  hus- 
band in  all  the  world,  not  even  excepting  yours, 
and  that  is  why  I  was  willing  to  marry  him 
without  the  consent  of  my  parents,  if  that  had 
been  necessary." 

The  invalid  did  not  know  that  she  had 
awakened  all  this  in  him ;  for  he  had  always  been 
petted  and  spoiled,  and  his  own  mother  was 
astonished  at  this  new  development  in  his  selfish 
nature.  But  Maxwell  knew;  there  were  hours 
of  solitude  in  the  night  when  he  communed  with 
himself,  when  he  thought  of  the  possibility  of 
losing  this  treasure  he  had  found  in  the  South- 
land, and  he  wondered  at  the  change  that  had 
come  over  him  since  his  marriage  with  this  pure- 
minded  girl.  That  he  had  changed,  there  was  no 
question,  and  there  was  no  possibility  that  he 
would  ever  be  the  wild,  selfish  man  again  that 
he  had  been  two  years  ago. 

Maury  and  Jessie  were  lovers  still ;  but  they 
were  not  silly,  and  seldom  made  display  of  their 
affection  in  the  presence  of  others.  Close  ob- 
servers would  have  noticed,  however,  that  Jessie 
was  very  proud  of  the  stalwart  man  who  walked 
by  her  side  with  such  easy  grace,  and  who  at- 
tracted the  admiration  of  both  sexes  wherever 
he  went.  Nor  was  the  admiration  one  sided ;  He 
had  eyes  for  no  other  woman,  and  was  always 
comparing  others  with  his  wife,  to  their  detri- 
ment. Once  he  spoke  to  Maxwell  about  their 
wives  being  superior  to  the  other  women  they 
met,  and  he  soon  found  that  they  were  agreed 
that  the  Miller  twins  were  queens  among  women. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  69 

"The  first  time  I  saw  them,"  said  Maxwell, 
"was  at  the  races  two  years  ago,  and  I  fell  in 
love  with  Allie  that  very  day.  The  more  I  knew 
the  family,  the  more  I  felt  my  own  unfitness  to 
marry  her.  I  was  pretty  wild,  Tallman,  and  I 
had  flirted  with  women  everywhere.  I  had  had 
several  romantic  affairs,  and  thought  I  was  in 
love  two  or  three  times ;  but  what  rot !  Now,  if 
I  should  lose  her,  I  am  sure  I  would  never  look 
at  a  woman  again." 

"Well,  I  was  reared  with  them,  and  I  always 
knew  that  Jim  Miller  was  giving  to  the  world  a 
very  fine  family;  but  I  did  not  think  of  loving 
Jessie  until  she  came  back  from  college  just  the 
same  sweet,  heart-free  girl  she  went  away.  She 
tells  me  that  neither  of  them  ever  had  a  love- 
affair  until  they  met  us.  We  are  very  fortunate 
men,  Wright.  I  only  wish  I  was  more  worthy  of 
the  love  of  such  a  pure  woman.  Like  you,  I 
sowed  my  wild  oats,  and  I  detest  myself  when  I 
think  of  the  low  standards"!  used  to  have.  Mar- 
riage makes  such  a  difference  in  a  man's  think- 
ing ;  I  really  believe  there  ought  to  be  some  kind 
of  legislation  to  check  the  wildness  of  young 
men.  I  do  not  know  what  it  ought  to  be ;  but 
I  am  sure  it  is  not  right  to  allow  a  pure  young 
woman  to  meet  a  foul,  dissolute  young  man  at 
the  altar,  when  he  would  not  marry  her  if  she 
was  half  as  unfit  as  he.  I  hope  some  reformer 
will  arise  to  work  a  social  revolution  before  I 
have  a  daughter  to  give  away." 

"That  is  what  is  killing  me.  I  not  only  stand 
a  fair  chance  to  lose  my  wife,  but  Dr.  Duncan 


70  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

told  me  that  she  will  never  be  a  mother,  even  if 
she  gets  well.  The  operation  destroyed  all  hope 
of  that.  I  cannot  see  why  a  woman  brought  up 
as  she  was,  and  with  the  superb  health  she  had 
when  we  were  married,  should  become  such  an 
invalid.  I  have  given  her  every  care,  and  it 
must  be  as  our  minister  says,  it  is  the  curse  of 
God  on  womankind.  If  that  is  it,  I  am  frank  to 
say  that  I  think  it  an  unjust  affliction  of  innocent 
persons." 

"I  would  not  be  hasty  in  saying  that;  we  are 
learning  that  many  things  that  have  been 
charged  up  to  the  arbitrary  will  of  the  Creator 
are  only  the  natural  result  of  the  violation  of 
some  of  the  laws  of  Nature.  It  is  a  Chinese 
puzzle;  but  the  solution  will  be  known  some  of 
these  days,  and  it  may  be  that  we  shall  find  the 
cause  of  such  suffering  nearer  home." 

Maury  spoke  at  random ;  however,  he  was 
nearer  the  truth  than  either  of  them  knew.  He 
was  destined  to  know  the  awful  facts  in  the 
near  future,  for  the  question  was  to  come  home 
to  him  in  a  way  it  had  not  come  to  Maxwell. 

Women  take  such  things  more  as  a  matter-of- 
course,  and  without  questionings  and  surmises. 
So  Allie  suffered  on,  and  found  a  little  envy 
growing  up  in  her  heart  as  she  watched  the 
dainty  work  in  the  hands  of  her  sister  growing 
into  a  wardrobe  of  dolllike  proportions. 

Maury  returned  to  Tamalpias  after  four  weeks 
and  left  Jessie  to  spend  the  remainder  of  the 
heated  term  with  Maxwell  and  Allie.  When  he 
reached  home,  there  were  letters  for  him  that 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  71 

made  it  probable  he  would  accept  a  position  with 
a  bank  at  Sharman,  a  new  town  near  the  border 
of  Mexico.  He  discussed  the  matter  with  Jim 
Miller,  and  the  latter  advised  him  to  accept  it, 
as  the  opportunity  was  great  for  him  to  make 
more  money  and  have  a  better  position  than 
the  one  he  then  held.  It  was  hard  for  Mrs. 
Miller  to  consent  to  the  arrangement,  as  it  would 
take  the  other  twin  away  from  home ;  however, 
she  saw  the  wisdom  of  the  change  and  deter- 
mined to  make  the  best  of  it. 

Thus  it  happened  that,  by  the  time  Jessie  re- 
turned home,  everything  was  ready  for  the  move, 
and  she  had  only  a  few  days  with  her  mother 
before  going  to  make  a  really  new  home  among 
strangers.  Her  mother  promised  to  come  to  her 
during  the  winter,  and  that  made  it  easier  for 
both  of  them. 

Maxwell's  business  interests  demanded  his  at- 
tention at  home,  so  he  and  Allie  took  up  their 
journey  after  a  visit  of  two  weeks  at  Tamalpias. 
Old  Dr.  McConnell  shook  his  head  when  Jim 
Miller  asked  him  what  he  thought  of  Allie's 
prospects  of  being  strong  again. 

"I  fear  she  will  never  be  well  again,  Jim.  If 
she  had  improved  more  this  summer,  I  would  be 
more  hopeful ;  but  it  now  looks  like  invalidism 
for  life.  Another  operation  may  be  necessary* 
but  I  hope  not ;  it  is  a  stubborn  case,  and  one  that 
is  hard  to  forecast." 

So  it  was  with  heavy  hearts  that  they  bade 
Allie  good-by  and  saw  her  leave  the  scenes  of  her 
happy  childhood. 


72  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 


CHAPTER  VII. 

DIXIE    MILLER. 

Dixie  Miller  had  begun  to  realize  that  "Life 
is  real,  life  is  earnest,"  for  the  hard  work  of  the 
school-year,  added  to  her  uneasiness  about  Allie, 
and  her  hopes  and  fears  about  Drury  Patterson, 
.had  quickly  developed  her  into  a  serious  young 
lady.  Her  parents  were  awed  at  the  change  in 
her  looks  and  her  demeanor,  and  the  thoughtful 
father  spoke  to  her  very  gently  about  it. 

"I  am  afraid,  Dixie,"  he  said,  "that  you  are 
taking  things  too  seriously.  Perhaps  you  are 
working  too  hard  at  school?" 

"No,  Father,  I  have  not  worked  harder  than 
others ;  indeed,  not  as  hard  as  some  have  had  to 
work  to  keep  up.  But  I  can  not  help  worrying 
about  Allie.  I  am  going  to  tell  you  my  secret, 
Daddy:  I  care  a  great  deal  for  Drury  Patterson, 
and  I  am  told  that  his  father  had  a  severe  attack 
of  delirium  tremens  last  winter.  I  haven't  told 
another  living  soul  about  it;  but  I  have  wanted 
to  talk  to  you,  and  ask  if  you  think  Drury  will 
ever  take  up  the  habit?" 

Jim  looked  down  into  the  face  of  his  child  for 
some  time  before  answering  her  question.  There 
was  admiration,  astonishment,  pride,  and  love 
mingled  in  his  look.  His  children  had  always 
been  frank  with  him,  with  the  possible  exception 
of  Allie,  and  this  supreme  confidence  and  candor 
in  his  youngest  daughter  stirred  him  deeply.  He 
seldom  yielded  to  his  emotions ;  but,  now,  he 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  73 

caught  Dixie  in  his  arms  and  pressed  her  to  his 
heart,  while  the  tears  brimmed  his  eyes  as  he 
replied  in  a  voice  that  was  eloquent  with  paternal 
love: 

"And  has  it  gone  that  far,  Dixie?" 

"Yes." 

"Are  you  sure  it  is  not  the  fancy  of  a  school- 
girl?" 

"It  might  have  been  that  at  first;  still,  you 
must  remember  that  I  have  had  the  opportunity 
of  a  year's  absence  and  acquaintance  with  other 
young  men,  and  I  assure  you  that  I  know  my 
heart.  Although  I  love  Drury  more  than  I  can 
tell  you,  I  have  no  desire  to  marry  him  until  we 
are  both  through  school,  and  he  is  settled  in  his 
life's  work.  Nevertheless,  I  am  concerned  about 
this  question  of  his  inheritance  of  the  appetite 
for  drink." 

"You  are  my  sweet,  sensible  girl ;  and  I  ap- 
preciate your  confidence  as  much  as  I  admire 
your  common  sense  in  this  great  matter.  Who 
put  this  notion  in  your  head?" 

"I  have  read  several  articles  on  the  question 
in  the  magazines,  and  Marvin  Harris  mentioned 
it  to  me  last  Christmas  after  Mr.  Patterson  had 
his  attack." 

"Well,  it  is  a  question  I  have  not  studied ;  but, 
I  do  not  believe  a  word  of  it.  You  can't  afford 
to  believe  these  sensational  articles  in  the  maga- 
zines ;  they  are  printed  to  sell  the  periodicals. 
If  the  son  was  going  to  follow  in  the  footsteps 
of  his  father,  he  would  have  begun  before  this. 
As  for  Marvin  Harris  telling  you  that,  didn't  it 


74  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

occur  to  you  that  he  wanted  you  to  believe  some- 
thing of  that  sort?" 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  with  a  pretty  blush,  "I 
was  vain  enough  to  think  that.  Yet  the  pos- 
sibility of  his  suggestion  being  true  was  enough 
to  make  me  consider  it." 

"Does  Drury  know  of  your  love  for  him?" 

"In  a  way.  We  have  been  corresponding,  and 
he  has  repeatedly  declared  his  love  for  me,  and  I 
have  responded  so  frankly  that  he  knows  his 
love  is  returned.  I  have  also  written  him  that  I 
have  confidence  in  his  shunning  the  very  pos- 
sibility of  ever  forming  the  drink-habit." 

"What  would  you  do  if  he  should  begin  to 
drink?" 

"My  mind  is  made  up  on  that  question.  I 
will  never  marry  any  man  that  drinks  whisky. 
Just  think  of  his  mother;  she  is  a  thoroughly 
good  woman,  and  she  is  a  lady.  But,  oh,  the 
bitterness  in  her  cup  of  life  through  the  dissipa- 
tion of  her  husband !  No,  I  could  never  cease 
loving  him ;  but  I  would  never  marry  him  if  he 
begins  to  drink." 

"Well,  listen,  Dixie,  according  to  your  own 
program,  it  will  be  three  years  before  you  could 
marry,  and,  if  he  does  not  take  up  the  habit  by 
that  time,  I  think  you  will  be  safe." 

"O  thank  you,  Daddy.  I  am  so  glad  to  have 
you  say  that.  I  shall  not  worry  any  more  about  it." 
it." 

"As  to  the  young  man  on  other  grounds,  I  have 
been  watching  him  closely,  and  approve  of  him 
heartily.  His  father  is  about  finished  financially, 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  75 

and  I  have  it  in  mind  to  help  him  get  his  educa- 
tion if  he  needs  my  help." 

The  caress  the  daughter  gave  her  father  full}' 
paid  him  for  his  promise  and  his  kindly  words. 
Both  remembered  this  conversation  in  after 
years,  and  the  father  came  to  appreciate  the  wis- 
dom of  his  daughter  even  more  that  he  did  this 
summer  day  on  the  lawn  at  Tamalpias. 

As  they  rose  to  return  to  the  house,  both  were 
surprised  to  see  Drury  enter  the  gate ;  for  he  was 
supposed  to  have  accepted  a  position  for  the 
summer  in  the  city  where  the  University  was 
located,  and  it  had  not  been  his  intention  to 
come  home.  However,  John  Patterson  had 
reached  that  point  in  his  inebriacy  that  he 
thought  it  reflected  on  him  for  Drury  to  remain 
away  during  the  summer,  and  he  had  ordered 
him  to  come  home. 

This  was  about  the  time  Maxwell  and  Allie 
had  left  for  the  mountains  of  Colorado,  and  the 
Harris  family  had  already  left  for  the  North ;  so 
that,  owing  to  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Miller  was  not 
going  away  for  the  summer,  Dixie  and  Drury 
saw  much  of  each  other  without  the  interference 
of  the  jealous  rival.  Drury  told  her  of  his  trip 
to  the  Coast,  and  of  his  experience  with  the  jolly 
crowd.  This  reassured  Dixie,  and  she  freely  ex- 
pressed her  faith  in  his  manhood  and  his  deter- 
mination never  to  touch  the  fiery  liquid  that  had 
been  his  father's  undoing. 

With  the  relief  of  Allie's  improvement,  and 
the  end  of  her  anxiety  about  Drury's  future,  the 
rest  began  to  bring  the  health-bloom  back  to 


78  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Dixie's  pale  cheeks.  Then,  too,  she  took  up  the 
twins'  habit  of  going  to  the  pool  for  a  plunge 
every  morning ;  and,  if  the  twins  had  been  beau- 
tiful, she  was  more  so.  Even  Jack  became  en- 
thusiastic about  her,  and  it  was  a  wonder  she  did 
not  become  vain  over  the  attention  she  received 
everywhere  she  went.  However,  she  was  too 
sensible  to  have  her  head  turned  by  the  fact  that 
she  had  a  beautiful  face,  for  she  had  heard  Dr. 
Barnes  preach  on  "Solomon's  Quest  of  the  Chief 
Good,"  and  she  remembered  that  one  of  his  main 
points  was  "The  Vanity  of  All  Personal  Beauty," 
which,  he  said,  could  be  snatched  away  by  sick- 
ness, sorrow,  or  an  accident. 

When  Marvin  Harris  came  home,  two  weeks 
before  she  returned  to  school,  he  did  not  share 
her  opinion  on  that  matter;  and  he  was  more  in- 
fatuated than  ever.  Drury  had  been  content  to 
sit  in  mute  worship  of  the  pure  character  that  he 
knew  was  resident  in  this  beautiful  house.  But 
not  so  Marvin  Harris.  His  eyes  ravished  her 
face  and  form,  and  he  told  her  of  her  charms  in 
such  eloquent  terms  that  a  less  sensible  girl 
would  have  been  won  by  his  ardent  admiration. 
Even  she  blushed  as  she  realized,  woman-like, 
that  such  praise  and  attention  were  not  alto- 
gether distasteful  However,  it  is  the  ardent,  ag- 
gressive lover  that  is  lacking  in  tact.  He  always 
spoiled  his  compliment  by  some  slighting  refer- 
ence to  his  rival. 

Dixie  assumed  an  attitude  of  placid  indiffer- 
ence when  Marvin  referred  to  Drury,  and  refused 
to  be  drawn  into  any  discussion  regarding  him 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  77 

or  his  family,  to  such  purpose  that  Marvin 
ceased  to  annoy  her  in  that  way.  Nevertheless, 
he  was  by  no  means  satisfied  to  let  it  go  at  that. 
He  knew  that  Mr.  Patterson  would  not  be  able 
to  send  Drury  back  to  the  University  without 
borrowing  money,  and  he  was  sure  that  his  fath- 
er would  be  appealed  to  in  the  matter.  Nor  was 
he  mistaken.  He  was  in  his  father's  office  when 
John  Patterson  came  on  that  very  errand,  and, 
while  they  were  talking,  he  wrote  a  note  and 
passed  it.  to  his  father,  asking  him  not  to  lend  any 
more  money  on  collateral  that  was  even  now 
covered  by  amounts  approaching  its  real  value. 
The  note  was  oppoi  tune,  and  Mr.  Harris  kindly, 
but  firmly,  told  his  client  that  he  could  not  ac- 
commodate him  further.  It  was  a  hard  blow, 
and  John  Patterson  begged  and  made  promises, 
to  no  purpose;  for  he  had  promised  before,  and 
had  always  broken  his  word  at  the  first  tempta- 
tion. 

Drury  said  not  a  word  regarding  his  keen  dis- 
appointment. Not  even  to  his  mother,  nor  to 
Dixie,  did  he  utter  a  word  of  complaint.  He 
merely  set  about  to  find  employment,  and,  fail- 
ing in  town,  he  applied  to  Jim  Miller  for  a  place 
on  the  ranch. 

"Why,"  replied  Jim,  "I  thought  you  were  go- 
ing back  to  the  University." 

"I  was ;  but  my  father  can  not  spare  the  mon- 
ey, and  I  will  have  to  work  this  year  and  make 
enough  to  go  to  school  next  year." 


78  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"So  you  are  not  going  to  give  up  the  ambition 
to  get  an  education,  then!" 

"Never,  sir.  It  will  take  longer;  but  I  suspect 
I  will  appreciate  it  the  more." 

"Give  me  your  hand,  son.  That  is  the  stuff 
men  are  made  of.  You  will  succeed  in  life,  and 
I  want  to  help  you.  I  will  make  you  a  proposi- 
tion: I  will  loan  you  one  thousand  dollars,  and 
you  can  pay  me  when  you  are  through  school 
and  getting  an  income  of  two  thousand  a  year." 

"But,  Mr.  Miller,  I  have  no  way  of  securing 
you  for  such  a  loan." 

"I  want  no  other  security  than  your  word,  my 
boy.  I  have  watched  you  for  years,  and  I  be- 
lieve in  you  thoroughly.  I  only  exact  one  condi- 
tion :  you  are  to  return  to  me  the  unexpended 
balance  that  may  be  on  hand  if  you  ever  take  a 
drink  of  intoxicating  liquor,  and  our  friendship 
will  then  be  at  an  end." 

"I  gladly  subscribe  to  the  condition,  yet  I  hes- 
itate to  accept  such  a  large  loan  when  it  will 
take  so  long  to  repay  it." 

"You  need  not  hesitate  a  moment;  it  is  my 
proposition,  and  I  want  you  to  accept  it  in  the 
spirit  in  which  it  is  offered.  Of  course,  you  un- 
derstand that  none  of  the  money  is  to  be  diverted 
to  any  other  purpose,  and  it  would  be  just  as 
well  to  keep  the  matter  confidential  between  us." 

"Before  I  accept  it,  I  have  a  confession  to  make 
to  you,  Mr.  Miller.  There  is  a  mutual  under- 
standing between  me  and  Dixie.  I  do  not  ask 
you  for  her  hand,  because  that  is  a  matter  out 
of  the  question  until  I  have  an  education  and  an 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  79 

income  that  will  support  her  as  your  daughter 
ought  to  be  supported.  But  I  think  it  is  time 
you  knew  that  I  love  her,  and  I  could  not  accept 
your  proffered  help  without  knowing  that  you 
have  no  objection  to  our  correspondence." 

"There,  now,  that  is  the  sort  I  took  you  to  be. 
I  admire  your  frankness,  and  I  hope  the  time 
will  never  come  when  you  will  not  be  straight- 
forward like  that.  I  am  glad  you  see  that  you 
must  not  think  of  marriage  until  you  are  settled 
and  have  an  income  on  which  to  support  a  wife. 
Three  years  is  quite  a  while,  and,  if  you  still  feel 
like  this  at  the  end  of  that  time,  I  want  you  to 
tell  me  so.  For  the  present,  you  must  give  your- 
self to  hard  work ;  and  I  would  advise  you  to  con- 
centrate on  the  study  of  medicine  if  you  are 
settled  in  making  that  your  profession." 

"I  can  not  thank  you  enough,  Mr.  Miller,  for 
your  great  kindness  to  me.  I  shall  try  to  prove 
my  gratitude  by  making  a  place  for  myself  in 
the  profession,  of  which  you  shall  not  be 
ashamed.  I  am  going  to  the  top  if  I  can  get 
there." 

"God  bless  you,  my  boy,"  and  the  two  men 
shook  hands  and  separated. 

Marvin  Harris  was  chagrined  when  he  found 
that  Drury  was  going  to  school  again.  Although 
he  tried  every  way  to  find  out  where  he  got  the 
money,  it  remained  a  mystery  to  him  and  other 
curious  people  for  many  years.  Dixie  surmised 
what  had  happened  because  of  the  remark  her 
father  had  made,  to  her,  although  the  subject 
was  not  mentioned  between  them. 


80  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

September  found  both  students  back  at  school, 
and  hard  at  work.  Dixie  was  so  much  improved 
in  mind  and  body  that  she  took  up  her  work 
with  zest.  Nor  was  Drury  a  laggard.  He  im- 
mediately began  to  lead  his  class,  and  his  pro- 
fessors frequently  exchanged  prophecies  about 
his  future. 

Dixie  was  troubled,  however,  by  the  frequent 
letters  from  Marvin  Harris.  There  seemed  to 
be  no  way  of  making  him  understand  that  his 
suit  was  hopeless.  His  letters  were  sometimes 
suppliant,  again  they  were  full  of  jealous  chiding, 
while,  at  other  times,  they  breathed  subtle 
threats  and  dark  hints  of  what  would  happen  if 
she  married  the  son  of  the  drunken  John  Patter- 
son. She  had  clipped  the  article  she  had  read 
on  the  train,  and,  once  or  twice,  she  had  re-read 
it  after  receiving  such  a  letter  from  Marvin. 
Then,  the  conversation  with  her  father  would 
recur  to  her  memory  and  she  would  put  the  ques- 
tion aside. 

Drury's  letters  were  not  frequent,  but  they 
were  long  and  cheerful.  They  were  like  a  tonic 
to  her,  and  she  was  continually  refreshed  and  in- 
spired by  his  noble  sentiments.  He  never  re- 
ferred to  Marvin  as  a  rival,  nor  did  he  ever  twit 
her  about  having  other  admirers.  The  contrast 
between  his  letters  and  Marvin's  was  so  great 
that  the  latter  would  have  been  furious  had  he 
known  the  effect  on  Dixie. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  81 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

LITTLE  JIM. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  had  urged  Jessie  to  come 
home  to  them  for  many  reasons;  but  she  preferred 
to  remain  in  her  new  home  at  Sharman,  that  she 
might  have  the  presence  and  encouragement  of 
Maury.  Mrs.  Miller  went  to  her  in  November, 
and  was  gratified  to  find  her  in  such  superb 
health  and  good  spirits-  There  were  few  white 
people  at  Sharman.  It  was  a  "cattleman's  town/* 
and  most  of  the  residents  were  Mexicans  and 
cowboys.  A  few  of  the  citizens,  however,  were 
desirable  neighbors,  and  these  had  very  natural- 
ly been  drawn  to  each  other.  Maury  and  Jessie 
were  already  popular  with  everybody ;  the  Mexi- 
can women  vied  with  each  other  in  offers  of 
service  and  little  attentions  to  Jessie,  and  the 
men  called  Maury  "Patrone,"  a  title  of  honor. 

The  eventful  day  drew  on  apace,  and  Jessie 
began  to  show  great  fortitude  and  courage.  She 
approached  the  Vale  of  Suffering  with  a  quiet 
confidence  that  made  her  appear  to  her  husband 
more  of  a  queen  than  ever.  He  was  anxious  and 
uneasy-  More  than  once,  he  wished  for  dear  old 
Dr.  McConnell,  and  was  on  the  point  of  wiring 
him,  when  Mrs.  Miller  told  him  it  would  be  al- 
together impractical.  She  did  not  tell  him,  how- 
ever, that  she  was  as  anxious  as  he  for  the  event 
to  become  history,  for  she  had  little  faith  in  what 
medical  assistance  was  within  call. 

Bravely,   and  with  confident  and  joyous  an- 


82  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

ticipation,  Jessie  entered  the  dark  Vale  on  Wed- 
nesday, and,  for  three  terrible  days,  she  was  in 
the  very  jaws  of  Death.  None  of  the  watchers 
expected  her  to  return  after  the  second  day. 
Maury  wired  for  Dr.  McConnell;  but,  unfortu- 
nately, that  very  day,  the  physician  had  been 
called  to  see  Allie,  who  was  again  stricken.  A 
strong  body  and  a  determined  will  conquered, 
though,  and  Jessie  came  back  from  the  somber 
shadows  on  Saturday,  and  brought  with  her  a 
young  life  that  she  considered  fully  worth  the 
terrible  price  she  had  paid.  Her  compensation 
was  increased  as  she  saw  the  new  tenderness  in 
her  big  husband.  He  was  almost  afraid  to  touch 
the  child  for  fear  he  would  injure  it.  He  would 
sit  speechless  in  the  presence  of  this  great  mys- 
tery of  motherhood.  It  was  a  revelation  to  him 
of  the  meaning  of  Holy  Matrimony.  His  whole 
being  revolted  at  the  remembrance  of  his  early 
ideas  of  womankind,  and  the  low  standards  of 
life  he  had  made  his  own.  When  Mrs.  Miller 
put  the  week-old  baby  in  his  arms,  he  looked  in- 
to the  dimpled  face  and  wondered  what  his  boy 
would  be  like  when  he  was  old  enough  to  run 
about  and  talk.  The  tears  came  to  his  eyes  as 
he  devoutly  wished  for  this  mite  of  humanity  a 
clean,  happy,  healthy  life.  He  put  the  baby  on 
the  pillow  by  its  mother  as  he  said: 

"Let  us  call  him  'Jim,'  Sweetheart.  A.nd  I  hope 
he  will  be  such  a  man  as  his  Grandfather  Miller." 

"O  Maury !  I  am  so  glad  you  suggested  it.  That 
is  ^-hat  I  wanted  to  call  him.  'Little  Jim  Miller 
Tallman.' " 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  83 

"Darling,  you  do  not  know  how  I  suffered  with 
you.  Those  terrible  days  have  made  me  a  dif- 
ferent man.  I  have  always  loved  you ;  now,  I 
cherish  you  as  my  own  life.  I  am  so  glad  you 
survived  it  all,  and  I  crave  the  privilege  of  mak- 
ing your  life  happy  every  day  you  live." 

"God  has  been  good  to  me  in  giving  me  such 
a  dear,  dear  husband.  I  love  you  with  all  my 
heart." 

"Mother,"  said  Jessie,  one  morning,  when  the 
baby  was  three  weeks  old,  "what  can  be  the  mat- 
ter with  Little  Jim's  eyes?  They  are  swollen  and 
inflamed." 

"It  is  the  bright  light,  I  think.  He  must  be 
kept  in  the  dark  for  a  few  days,  and  he  will  get 
all  right." 

Jessie  called  the  Doctor's  attention  to  it,  and 
he  gave  her  a  "wash"  for  them.  Still  they  grew 
worse  every  day  until,  at  last,  both  eyes  were 
entirely  closed  by  the  swelling.  The  Doctor  as- 
sured them  they  would  become  normal  in  a  few 
days ;  but  a  month  went  by  and  they  were  no 
better.  Jessie  regained  her  strength  very  slowly, 
and  was  able  to  be  up  only  a  part  of  the  time. 
She  was,  so  alarmed  that  she  insisted  that  they 
take  the  little  fellow  to  a  specialist.  Maury  and 
Mrs.  Miller  approved  of  the  plan,  and,  on  the  day 
he  was  two  months  old,  Little  Jim  was  carried 
into  the  office  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Roberts.  The 
examination  had  not  gone  far  when  a  significant 
glance  passed  between  the  Doctor  and  the  office 
nurse.  A  treatment  was  given  and  they  were 
told  to  bring  the  child  back  the  next  day.  Then 


84  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

began  a  long  course  of  close  treatment  for  more 
than  a  month.  Finally,  the  Doctor  invited  Maury 
to  dine  with  him,  and,  after  the  meal,  took  him 
into  the  library  and  said  very  gently: 

"Mr.  Tallman,  I  have  very  sad  news  for  you. 
I  have  done  my  best  to  save  your  baby's  eyes, 
but  I  have  failed.  If  I  could  have  seen  him  soon- 
er, I  am  sure  I  should  have  been  successful.  You 
might  take  him  to  New  York,  and  let  Dr.  Shaw 
try  his  skill.  However,  I  am  sure  the  eyes  are 
gone  beyond  all  possibility  of  recovery." 

Maury  Tallman  was  crushed  at  the  news.  He 
sat  in  a  daze  for  several  minutes;  then,  he  said, 
in  a  voice  that  was  scarcely  above  a  whisper : 

"Doctor,  did  I  hear  aright?  Is  it  possible  that 
my  child  is  really  blind?  O  my  God!  It  cannot 
be.  How  can  I  ever  tell  his  mother?  Oh,  I  would 
rather  die  than  have  Little  Jim  be  blind !  I  was 
a  fool  to  allow  that  old  quack  to  treat  him.  Why 
did  I  not  come  here  at  once  when  his  eyes  first 
began  to  be  sore!" 

He  covered  his  face  with  his  hands,  and  his 
grief  was  pathetic  to  behold.  Doctor  Roberts 
had  broken  the  same  news  to  other  fathers ;  but 
this  was  the  most  touching  incident  he  had  ex- 
perienced in  years. 

"Come,  Mr.  Tallman,  don't  take  it  like  that. 
You  have  done  the  best  you  could  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. He  is  an  extraordinary  child,  and 
many  blind  children  are  among  our  best  musicians 
and  students.  Think  of  Helen  Keller.' 

"If  you  will  give  me  a  note  to  Dr.  Shaw,  I  will 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  85 

take  the  child  to  New  York,  and  see  what  his 
opinion  is." 

"Gladly.  I  will  write  him  the  history  of  the 
case  as  far  as  my  connection  with  it  is  concerned, 
and  I  will  be  glad  to  know  that  you  have  turned 
the  last  stone  to  recover  the  sight  of  the  child." 

Jessie  was  scarcely  able  to  undertake  the  trip ; 
but  the  excitement  made  her  forget  herself,  and, 
the  next  day,  they  started  for  New  York.  Dur- 
ing the  trip,  Maury  broke  the  news,  by  degrees, 
to  Jessie.  He  was  afraid  she  would  go  down  un- 
der the  blow;  but  he  little  knew  that  women 
stand  such  things  with  more  grace  and  fortitude 
than  men.  They  are  born  to  trouble,  and  bear 
without  a  murmur  pain,  suffering,  and  sorrow 
that  would  kill  a  man. 

"What  did  Doctor  Roberts  say  was  the  cause 

of  the ?"  Jessie  could  not  bring  herself 

to  speak  the  word  just  yet. 

"Ophthalmia,  I  think  he  called  it." 

Even  as  Maury  spoke  the  word,  it  was  mean- 
ingless and  almost  unheard ;  for  the  mother-mind 
was  traveling  on  through  the  years,  as  she  would 
teach  the  little  fingers  to  feel,  and  try  to  tell  her 
first-born  of  the  beauties  of  Nature  and  the 
works  of  man.  From  the  first  moment  that  she 
fully  understood  the  meaning  of  Dr.  Robert's 
report,  she  knew  there  was  no  hope.  She  did  not 
try  to  make  her  husband  know  how  she  felt 
about  it ;  she  was  simply  resigned  to  what  she 
realized  was  a  certainty. 

They  both  shrank  from  the  other  passengers, 
who  were  naturally  curious  about  the  baby  with 


86  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

the  bandaged  eyes.  This  was  too  sacred  to  share 
with  strangers.  This  very  shrinking  from  others 
drove  the  two  sad  hearts  closer  to  each  other.  In 
after  years,  Jessie  remembered  this  trip,  and  all 
the  tender  things  Maury  said  to  her,  as  well  as  the 
pitiful  look  on  his  face  as  he  held  Little  Jim  to 
relieve  her.  Others  might  misunderstand  him, 
but  she  knew  him  after  that;  and,  through  the 
gloom  of  her  sorrow,  these  three  days  with  their 
baby  and  their  grief  on  the  cars  shone  with  a 
soft  light  that  mellowed  her  heart  and  made  life 
bearable. 

At  Birmingham,  they  received  a  message  that 
Allie  was  worse  and  another  operation  would  be 
performed  the  next  week.  It  must  have  been 
that  their  sorrow  over  the  blindness  of  the  baby 
had  exhausted  their  grief  and  rendered  them 
senseless  to  further  shock,  for  they  took  the  mat- 
ter very  calmly. 

On  their  arrival  at  New  York,  they  made  an 
engagement  with  the  great  specialist,  Dr.  Shaw. 
They  found  him  as  gentle  as  a  woman,  and  he 
impressed  them  at  once  that  he  deserved  his  rep- 
utation for  skill.  After  the  second  examination, 
he  told  them  there  was  no  hope  of  recovering  the 
sight  of  the  child,  and  he  deplored  the  lack  of 
knowledge  and  skill  that  had  allowed  the  disease 
to  pass  the  stage  of  possible  cure. 

The  Doctor's  final  decision  dazed  Maury,  and 
he  went  about  as  one  in  a  trance;  but  Jessie 
faced  the  inevitable  with  courage  and  resigna- 
tion. She  saw  that  her  husband  needed  her,  and 
that  he  must  be  cheered  and  helped  just  now,  or 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  87 

the  consequences  might  be  fearful.  With  fem- 
inine heroism,  she  smiled  and  talked  of  the  teach- 
ers they  would  employ,  and  of  the  things  she 
would  teach  Little  Jim  to  do. 

"Just  think  how  much  worse  it  might  be, 
dear,"  she  said  to  him,  as  they  were  on  their 
way  to  Allie's  bedside.  He  might  have  been 
deformed,  or  he  might  have  died.  I  thank  God 
for  allowing  us  to  have  him,  even  blind.  And  it 
is  not  as  though  he  had  ever  known  sight.  Only 
as  we  tell  him  will  he  know  what  he  lacks." 

"I  know,  darling ;  but  it  is  hard  for  me  to  take 
a  blind  child  to  your  father.  He  is  such  a  stick- 
ler for  perfection,  even  in  his  stock,  that  I  wanted 
to  show  him  a  perfect  child." 

"Oh,  surely  you  do  not  think  my  father  will 
be  that  heartless,  do  you!  Why,  you  will  find 
him  the  most  sympathetic  and  dearest  friend 
Little  Jim  will  have." 

"I  am  sure  of  all  that.  He  will  pity  him;  but 
it  is  not  pity  I  wanted.  I  had  the  fond  hope  that 
we  would  present  to  your  parents  one  of  the 
finest  and  most  perfect  grandchildren  that  ever 
came  into  the  world.  My  disappointment  in  that 
regard  is  almost  as  keen  as  my  grief  over  the 
affliction  of  the  baby." 

"Isn't  there  a  modicum  of  selfish  pride  in 
that !" 

"Yes,  there  is.  But  is  it  not  a  pardonable 
pride!" 

"No,  I  am  afraid  it  is  wrong.  We  have  done 
our  best,  and  I  have  nothing  to  chide  myself  for, 
nor  have  you." 


88  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"I  do  chide  myself  for  delaying  so  long  about 
getting  him  to  competent  hands.  I  wish  I  had 
never  heard  of  Sharman.  If  we  had  had  a  real 
doctor  there,  our  baby  would  be  smiling  at  us,  in- 
stead of  lying  there  with  his  little  eyes  all  ban- 
daged. I  tell  you  it  is  more  than  I  can  bear." 

"Come,  now,  Maury,  you  must  not  give  way 
like  this.  My  husband  is  a  strong  man,  and  he 
can  rise  above  all  this  and  help  me  to  make  the 
best  of  things  as  they  are." 

"Forgive  me,  dear.  I  will  help  you.  Let  me 
nurse  him  a  while."  He  took  the  mite  in  his 
arms,  and  they  changed  the  conversation. 

A  surprise  awaited  them  at  the  station  where 
Allie  lived.  Maxwell  was  there  in  his  automo- 
bile, and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller,  accompanied  by 
Jack  and  Dixie,  were  waiting  for  them.  Jessie 
comprehended  the  meaning  of  it  all  in  a  moment : 
Allie  was  desperately  ill ! 

They  could  not  bring  themselves  to  tell  the 
result  of  their  visit  to  the  specialist  until  they 
arrived  at  the  house.  Dixie  held  the  baby  and 
kept  asking  how  his  eyes  were  until  Jessie  suc- 
ceeded in  signaling  to  her  to  be  quiet.  Mis.  Mil- 
ler had  prepared  Jim  by  telling  him  her  doubts 
that  the  child  would  ever  see  again.  The  others, 
however,  knew  nothing  more  than  that  the  little 
eyes  were  affected  in  some  way. 

In  the  presence  of  duty,  Maury's  strength  re- 
turned, and  he  took  Mr.  Miller  aside,  when  they 
arrived  at  the  house,  and  told  him  all  that  had 
"happened,  saying  that  he  had  hoped  to  bring  to 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  89 

him  a  perfect  child,  but  had  been  denied  that 
great  pleasure. 

Mr.  Miller's  face  showed  plainly  the  agony  he 
felt,  as  he  grasped  Tallman's  hand  and  said: 
"You  have  done  your  best,  my  son,  and  I  see 
you  are  unjust  to  yourself  in  the  matter.  If  you 
were  to  blame,  you  might  have  cause  to  feel  as 
you  do;  but,  when  all  this  is  the  result  of  a  com- 
bination of  circumstances  over  which  you  had 
no  control,  I  want  you  to  know  that  you  have 
my  sympathy  and  approval.  Let  us  make  the 
best  of  things  as  they  are,  and  not  think  of  what 
might  have  been." 

"Your  words  comfort  me,  Mr.  Miller.  I  have 
suffered  all  kinds  of  torment  during  the  past  two 
weeks.  It  will  be  an  abiding  sorrow  in  my  life; 
but  I  shall  try  not  to  allow  it  to  reflect  itself  in 
the  lives  of  my  loved  ones." 

Dixie  and  Jack  were  awestricken  by  the  calam- 
ity. Mrs.  Miller  had  believed  from  the  first 
that  the  affection  was  fatal  to  Little  Jim's  sight, 
while  Allie  was  suffering  too  acutely  to  give 
expression  to  her  thoughts  more  than  to  pull 
Jessie's  head  down  to  her  pillow  and  whisper  her 
love  and  regrets.  The  Wrights  were  as  kind  and 
sympathetic  as  they  could  possibly  be,  and  in- 
terest was  soon  centered  in  Allie,  and  the  opera- 
tion that  was  to  take  place  two  days  later. 


90  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  IX. 

ALLIE'S  RELEASE. 

The  deepest  snow  that  had  fallen  in  twenty 
years  lay  like  a  winding  sheet  over  the  land- 
scape, and  the  bare  trees  scarcely  obstructed  the 
view  from  the  upper  windows  of  Maxwell 
Wright's  residence.  Dixie  Miller  had  never 
seen  more  than  a  light  fall  of  snow,  which  had 
melted  within  an  hour  or  two  after  it  fell.  She 
was  awakened  by  the  jingling  of  sleigh-bells 
Tuesday  morning,  and,  peeping  from  her  win, 
dow,  she  was  entranced  by  the  world  of  white- 
ness. The  ground  had  been  bare  the  night  be- 
fore, and  the  sky  overcast  with  gray  clouds ;  this 
morning,  the  sky  was  clear,  and  the  air  crisp 
and  cold.  The  sun  was  just  rising,  like  a  ball 
of  fire,  and  the  snow-crystals  were  gleaming 
like  star-dust 

Already,  the  sleighs  were  breaking  the  roads ; 
boys  and  men  with  shovels  were  clearing  the 
walks,  and  the  desire  to  get  out  and  feel  the 
tingle  made  Dixie  dress  hurriedly.  She  called 
Jack,  and,  very  soon,  the  two  were  on  the  lawn, 
frolicking  like  young  animals.  All  the  snow 
they  had  ever  seen  had  been  wet;  but  this  was 
light  and  dry.  It  flew  everywhere,  and  one 
could  not  make  a  hard  ball  of  it.  They  found 
great  sport  in  shaking  showers  of  it  from  the 
shrubbery  and  trees,  and  in  rolling  in  the  deep 
banks  of  it  along  the  walks.  Dixie  remarked 
that  it  almost  took  the  place  of  her  plunge  in 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  91 

the  pool  at  Tamalpias,  while  Jack  declared  that 
it  was  more  sport  than  riding  the  waves  at  Gal- 
veston. 

Jessie  was  awakened  by  their  shouts  of  glee, 
and  aroused  Maury.  Neither  of  them  had  seen 
a  heavy  snow  before,  and  they  gazed  like  chil- 
dren at  the  white  wonder. 

"Let's  show  Little  Jim!"  cried  Jessie.  Then, 
she  remembered  and,  together,  they  turned  from 
the  glorious  sight  to  the  sleeping  babe. 

Below,  in  the  great  old-fashioned  four-poster, 
Allie  lay.  This  was  the  day  appointed  for  the 
operation.  She  had  rested  well  through  the 
night,  and,  now,  she  was  watching  Jack  and 
Dixie  playing  in  the  snow  near  her  window. 
It  was  a  sight  so  inspiring  that  the  nurse 
propped  her  up  that  she  might  take  ,in  fthe 
whole  scene.  Presently,  Maxwell  came  into  the 
room  and  greeted  her. 

"Look,  dear,  isn't  it  beautiful!  O  the  pure, 
white  snow.  I  never  saw  so  much  of  it  before." 

"Yes,  little  woman,  it  is  beautiful,  and  pure, 
and  white,  but  not  more  so  than  my  darling 
wife.  I  am  so  glad  you  have  rested  well 
through  the  night,  and  that  you  are  so  much 
better  prepared  to  stand  the  ordeal  of  today 
than  we  had  hoped  you  would  be.  How  I  wish 
I  could  take  your  place  and  bear  it  all  for  you." 

"I  am  glad  you  can't.  You  have  a  great  fu- 
ture before  you.  The  world  needs  you;  it  can 
get  along  without  me  better  than  many  an- 
other." 

"I  do  wish  you  would  bef  more  hopeful,  Allie, 


93  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

I  am  sure  you  will  get  along  all  right.  Why, 
you  will  be  well  again  in  a  few  months,  and  we 
will  go  to  Canada  again  in  the  summer." 

A  smile  flitted  over  her  face.  "That  summer 
was  worth  all.  Weren't  we  happy!" 

"Yes,  It  was  a  paradise  without  a  serpent  in 
it." 

"Indeed  it  was!" 

Then,  after  a  pause:  "Do  you  remember  my 
dream,  Maxwell?" 

"Yes,  I  remember.     Why?" 

"I  fear  I  will  not  awaken  this  time  before  the 
white  horse  carries  me  away,"  she  said,  very 
calmly,  the  while  stroking  his  hair  with  a  pale 
hand. 

"Darling,  I  can't  give  you  up  now.  You  must 
stay  with  me  a  while  longer.  Please  take  cour- 
age and  determine  that  you  will  live  and  get 
well  again."  He  was  restraining  himself  to  the 
limit  of  his  will-power  for  her  sake.  She  would 
need  all  her  strength  if  she  came  back  from  the 
Valley. 

Slowly,  she  shook  her  head  and  looked  over 
the  snow-covered  estate. 

"I  do  not  fear  to  go.  There  is  only  one  thing 
that  I  would  care  to  live  for — my  dear  boy's 
sake.  Nothing  else  matters.  I  know  you  will 
be  always  true  and  good ;  and  I  have  your  prom- 
ise to  be  of  service  to  the  world.  You  have  be- 
gun to  live  on  a  higher  plane  these  last  few 
months,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  so  live  that  we 
shall  meet  again  where  there  will  be  'no  more 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  93 

curse/  and  God  will  wipe  all  tears  from  our 
eyes.  Tell  me,  dear  boy,  that,  no  matter  what 
comes,  you  will  take  care  of  yourself  and  make 
the  very  best  of  life." 

"O  Allie,  my  wife,  my  idol.  I  will.  Whether 
you  live  or  die,  I  shall  be  a  better  man  than  I 
ever  would  have  been,  had  I  not  met  you.  But 
I  just  can  not  give  up  hope  that  you  will  get 
well." 

"God  knows  I  would  not  talk  to  you  this 
way,  my  dear  Maxwell,  if  I  did  not  feel  sure 
that  it  is  our  last  sweet  conference  together.  The 
Doctor  has  set  ten  o'clock  as  the  hour,  because 
he  wants  me  to  have  the  advantage  of  the  morn- 
ing freshness.  Kiss  me  now,  dear,  then  come 
to  me  a  few  moments,  after  breakfast.  I  shall 
want  to  see  each  of  my  loved  ones  a  moment. 
Tell  Dr.  McConnell  to  come  in  and  be  with  me 
while  I  talk  to  them." 

The  nurse  insisted  that  she  must  rest,  and 
Maxwell  swallowed  his  sobs  and  left  the  room. 
He  went  immediately  to  his  own  room,  how- 
ever, and  there  gave  way  to  the  torrent  of 
grief  that  he  had  kept  pent  up  in  his  breast 
while  he  talked  with  the  invalid.  When  he  did 
not  appear  at  breakfast,  Maury  went  to  his 
room  to  look  for  him,  and  there  the  two  men 
comforted  each  other.  It  was  hard  to  tell 
whose  sorrow  was  the  keenest,  that  of  the  hus- 
band who  was  facing  the  grim  reaper  who  was 
ready  to  snatch  away  the  wife  of  his  bosom,  or 
that  of  the  father  whose  baby  son  was  doomed 
to  a  life  of  darkness.  It  is  here  set  down  to  the 


94  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

credit  of  both  that  each  found  a  balm  for  his 
wound  in  trying  to  comfort  the  other. 

The  gloom  deepened  and  spread,  until  it  en- 
compassed the  whole  household.  Even  young, 
vigorous  Jack  was  overcome  by  it.  Jessie  found 
herself  weak  and  almost  sick  from  her  long  trip, 
and  Dixie  was  of  such  a  sympathetic  nature  that 
she  remarked  to  her  mother  that  it  seemed 
strange  God  would  make  everything  so  da7- 
zlingly  white  outside,  when  there  was  so  much 
sadness  and  gloom  within.  Mrs.  Miller  was 
everywhere,  cheering  this  one  and  encouraging 
that  one,  waiting  on  Jessie,  nursing  the  baby, 
counseling  Maxwell,  and  keeping  Jim  from  being 
lonesome  and  sad. 

It  was  evident  that  Dr.  McConnell  was  not  at 
all  optimistic  about  the  result  of  the  operation. 
He  even  dropped  a  few  hints  that  were  intended 
to  prepare  the  family  for  the  worst.  He  was  in 
the  sick-room  at  nine  o'clock,  when  the  family 
came  in  to  see  Allie,  and  he  shrewdly  managed 
to  keep  them  all  in  good  cheer,  and  led  the  con- 
versation away  from  the  serious.  It  took  all  his 
tact  to  accomplish  this  end,  for  the  patient 
wanted  to  talk  to  them  as  she  had  to  her  hus- 
band. At  last,  she  kissed  each,  and  told  them 
good-by  in  a  manner  that  left  nothing  to  be  said 
in  reply,  and  the  Doctor  and  the  nurse  got  them 
out  of  the  room  as  quickly  as  possible.  Maxwell 
had  a  few  minutes  with  her,  then  went  to  his 
room  to  suffer  the  untold  agonies  of  suspense 
and  uncertainty  until  the  ordeal  should  be  over. 

Dr.  Duncan  and  his  assistants  arrived  promptly 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  95 

at  ten.  It  was  unusual  for  him  to  agree  to 
operate  outside  of  the  hospital;  but  he  made  an 
exception  in  this  case  because  the  hospital  was 
crowded,  and  it  would  be  easy  to  make  the  room 
in  the  home  sanitary.  Indeed,  it  was  already  so 
under  his  careful  instructions. 

Again,  one  of  the  Miller  twins  entered  the 
Valley  of  Shadows  and  took  the  leading  part  on 
the  stage  of  tragedy.  The  dark,  shrouded  form 
of  Death  peered  with  hungry,  lustful  eyes  over 
the  shoulders  of  the  surgeons,  while  white-winged 
angels  hovered  near  to  cheat  the  monster  of  his 
victim  even  if  he  should  gain  the  victory.  It 
was  a  tense  hour,  and  pulses  quickened  and 
slowed  as  the  pendulum  of  life  swung  back  and 
forth.  Dr.  McConnell,  holding  the  pulse  of  the 
woman  at  whose  birth  he  had  attended,  scarcely 
breathed  as  he  watched  the  progress  of  the  battle. 
Twice,  he  was  compelled  to  ask  the  great  sur- 
geon to  wait  until  the  pulse  of  the  patient  re- 
covered somewhat. 

At  last,  it  was  finished,  and  only  the  closing 
of  the  wound  remained  to  be  accomplished.  Dr. 
Duncan  shook  his  head  and  said : 

"It  is  just  as  well,  if  she  had  recovered,  she 
would  have  been  a  hopeless,  suffering  invalid, 
and,  very  likely,  she  would  have  been  insane. 
Very  few  escape  insanity  after  an  operation  like 
this." 

Dr.  McConnell  dropped  the  wrist  he  was 
holding  and  turned  away,  sobbing  like  a  school- 
boy. He  loved  Jim  Miller's  children,  even  as 
they  loved  him.  It  is  a  sad  day  that  sees  the 


96  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

passing  of  these  dear  old  family  doctors.  They 
did  not  know  as  much  medical  science  as  the 
physicians  of  today;  but  they  knew  human 
hearts  better,  and  their  kindly  smiles  and  tender 
touch  were  worth  more  than  their  medicine  in 
many  cases.  Their  knowledge  pf  the  family,  and 
its  history  and  predispositions,  gave  them  a  won- 
derful advantage.  Among  the  heroes  of  America, 
let  us  never  forget  the  Old  Family  Doctor. 

At  eleven  o'clock,  the  doctors  left  the  room, 
but  the  reaper,  Death,  remained,  and  the  angels 
hovered  closer  over  the  quiet  form  of  Allie.  The 
family  came,  and  the  husband.  They  knew, 
now,  why  her  last  word  had  been  "good-by." 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  had  come,  and  Maxwell 
needed  them.  His  quiet  grief  was  pitiful  to  be- 
hold. For  two  hours,  they  watched  as  black 
pinions  and  white  drew  closer  and  closer.  At 
times,  they  thought  both  had  departed,  but  the 
beloved  one  was  going  to  sleep  very  quietly. 
No  one  saw  them,  and  none  heard  the  rustle  of 
their  wings;  however,  they  were  there,  and,  soon 
after  noon,  the  band  of  angels  snatched  up  the 
lily  Death  had  cut  down,  and  bore  it  out  and 
away  from  the  snow-clad  earth,  beyond  the 
shining  sun,  and  out  to  the  City  not  made  with 
hands. 

When  she  was  gone,  her  old  "black  mammy," 
who  had  been  lurking  near  the  door,  came  and 
knelt  beside  the  bed  in  uncontrollable  grief. 

"O  God,"  she  cried,  "didn't  I  say  dem  clouds 
You  done  gib  'em  dat  weddin'-day  meant  nothin' 
but  sorrer  and  def?  He-er's  my  po'  baby-twin 


JIM    MILLKR'S    GIRLS  97 

done  gone  home  to  Glory,  and  he-er's  Little  Jim 
all  blin',  and  neber  will  see  no  mo'.  O  God,  I 
wants  ter  die,  too.  Marse  Jim,  luk  at  dat  sweet 
angel-chile.  Ain't  she  dat  purty,  jes'  lak  a  lily- 
bud?  Ole  Missus,  I  sho'  lubs  yo'  all,  an'  I  wishes 
ter  God  I  could  b'ar  it  all  fer  you.  Come  he-er, 
Miss  Jessie,  you  po'  dahlin'  chile,  and  let  me  see 
yo'  all  together  once  mo'  fo'  I  dies." 

Thus,  with  family,  husband,  black  mammy, 
and  family  physician  about  her,  Allie  Miller  was 
released  from  the  curse  that  lies  on  womankind. 
The  tragedy  had  been  enacted,  and  hungry,  lust- 
ful Death  had  glutted  himself  on  his  victim.  But 
only  for  a  while;  for,  at  the  resurrection  of  the 
just,  he  will  have  to  give  up  the  body,  even  as  he 
was  cheated  of  the  soul  of  his  victim,  and  all 
through  the  Child  of  a  woman.  Ah,  then  we 
will  cry  in  derision:  "O  Grave,  where  is  thy 
victory,  Death,  where  is  thy  sting!" 

They  carried  the  body  back  to  the  Sunny 
South  and  laid  it  by  the  grandparents  in  the 
beautiful  cemetery  at  Tamalpias.  The  transition 
from  the  frozen  North  to  the  lilacs  and  hyacinths 
of  the  South  seemed  like  a  symbol  of  her  going 
from  this  cold,  cruel  world  to  the  plains  of 
Paradise.  The  whole  town  went  to  the  cemetery, 
even  to  the  negroes  for  miles  around.  Maxwell 
Wright  was  given  a  glimpse  of  Southern  sym- 
pathy and  hospitality  that  he  had  never  dreamed 
existed ;  and  his  parents,  who  had  come  with 
him,  saw  things  far  different  from  what  they  had 
expected.  Indeed,  these  are  the  incidents  that 
teach  us  most  effectively  that  we  are  one  people, 
and  that  our  joys  and  sorrows  are  the  same,  and 


98  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

our  interests    are    identical,    North    and    South. 

The  Wrights  remained  with  the  Millers  for 
two  months,  and  Maury  and  Jessie  took  up  their 
burden  and  their  blind  child  and  went  back  to 
the  little  town  near  the  Rio  Grande.  Dixie  re- 
turned to  school,  and  old  Rilla  went  about  the 
place  forlorn  and  uncomforted. 

Drury  Patterson  wrote  to  both  Dixie  and  her 
father,  and  offered  condolence  and  sympathy. 
Marvin  Harris  wrote  to  Dixie  also;  but  he  used 
it  more  as  an  occasion  for  pressing  his  suit  for 
her  hand  than  for  trying  to  heal  the  wound  in 
her  heart.  He  did  not  tell  her  that  he  was  paying 
attention  to  Thelma  Dawson;  however,  she  had 
heard  of  it  during  the  few  days  she  was  at  home. 
Nor  did  she  care;  she  was  glad  that  he  was  at- 
tracted to  some  one  else.  It  only  disgusted  her 
that  he  should  write  to  her  like  that  when  she 
was  sure  he  was  saying  the  same  things  to 
Thelma. 

The  Wrights  left  for  home  on  May-day,  when 
the  fields  were  green  and  the  flowers  blooming 
in  luxury  everywhere.  The  symbol  had  changed 
ior  Maxwell  Wright,  now.  He  felt  that  his  life 
from  now  on  would  be  like  the  bare  trees  of  New 
York  State,  which  had  been  retarded  by  a  very 
late  spring.  If  he  had  gone  away  sorrowing,  he 
came  back  sad,  but  not  as  sad  as  he  would  be 
when  his  eyes  were  opened  to  the  secret  of  the 
Great  Tragedy,  and  he  was  destined  to  be  in- 
itiated into  that  secret  in  the  near  future.  There 
is  no  curse  without  a  just  cause,  and  the  cause 
lies  nearer,  mankind  than  it  does  to  the  Creator. 
Remove  the  cause  and  the  curse  will  vanish. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  STARTLING  REVELATION. 

Mrs.  Miller  dropped  the  magazine  she  was 
reading,  and  looked  at  her  husband  with  such  a 
pall  of  terror  showing  in  her  face,  that  he  started 
from  his  chair  and  made  quick  inquiry. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Mollie?  Are  you  ill? 
You  are  as  pale  as  a  corpse." 

"Jack,  please  leave  the  room ;  I  want  to  speak 
to  your  father." 

Jack  left  the  room,  and  Mrs.  Miller  turned  to 
reply  to  her  husband's  question. 

"No,  I  am  not  ill.  James,  do  you  believe  it  is 
possible  that,  if  a  young  man  sows  wild  oats,  his 
wife  and  children  will  have  to  bear  the  conse- 
quences ?" 

"In  what  way?    What  do  you  mean?" 

"Well,  here  is  an  article  by  Miss  Helen  Kel- 
ler, the  remarkable  blind  woman,  in  which  she 
declares  that  social  sin  is  the  most  common  cause 
of  blindness,  and  that  " 

It  was  not  like  Jim  Miller  to  be  rude :  but  he 
strode  across  the  room  and  snatched  the  maga- 
zine from  her  lap,  saying: 

"Where  is  it?    Show  it  to  me." 

"Here,  the  first  thing  in  the  magazine." 

She  watched  him  as  he  read  it,  watched  his 
face  grow  red,  then  white,  and  finally  ashen. 
Then,  as  he  finished,  she  heard  his  teeth  click, 
and  saw  his  lips  compress,  as  he  rose  and  started 
to  leave  the  room  with  the  journal  in  his  hand- 


100  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Where  are  you  going,  James?"  she  asked. 

"I  am  going  to  interview  Dr.  McConnell.  I'll 
be  back  in  a  short  time;  don't  \vo-ry,  dear." 

It  took  him  only  a  moment  to  crank  the  big 
red  machine,  which  he  had  recently  purchased, 
and,  ten  minutes  later,  he  was  standing  in  the 
Doctor's  office,  exclaming: 

"Dr.  McConnell,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  the 
truth,  and  the  whole  truth.  Is  it  possible  that 
the  suffering  and  death  of  my  child,  the  affliction 
of  my  grandchild,  and  the  invalidism  of  my 
daughter,  Jessie,  is  due  to  the  dissolute  habits  of 
the  men  who  married  my  twins?" 

"My  dear  Mr.  Miller,  you  are  plainly  excited. 
Pray  sit  down  and  tell  me  what  you  mean." 

"'This  is  what  I  mean.  Here  is  an  article  by 
Helen  Keller,  the  blind  voung  woman  who  has 
gained  a  college  education  through  her  finger- 
tips. I  want  to  read  it  to  you  and  ask  you  some 
questions." 

"Very  well,  but  allow  me  to  say  before  you 
begin  that  most  articles  of  that  kind  are  written 
by  novices,  who  know  very  little  of  the  subjects 
on  which  they  write,  and  they  generally  exag- 
gerate the  facts  and  paint  them  to  appeal  to  the 
public/' 

"That  may  be  true,  indeed  I  am  sure  it  is,  in 
most  cases ;  but,  if  it  is  so  in  this  instance,  you 
will  know  it.  This  is  a  scientific  subject,  and  we 
may  arrive  at  the  facts.  It  is  for  that  reason  I 
have  come  to  you.  You  have  known  me  and 
mine  for  twenty-five  years;  I  trust  you  implicitly, 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  101" 

and  shall  expect  you  to  give  me  the  unvarnished 
truth  in  this  matter." 

"I  shall  do  my  best  for  you,  Jim.  Now,  read 
the  article  to  me." 

"In  order  that  you  may  get  the  whole  matter 
before  you  in  a  comprehensive  way.  I  will  read 
the  article,  and  then  we  can  talk  about  it.  She 
says: 

"Once  I  believed  that  blindness,  deafness, 
tuberculosis,  and  other  causes  of  human  suffer- 
ing, were  necessary,  unpreventable ;  I  believed 
that  we  must  accept  blind  eyes,  deaf  ears,  dis- 
eased lungs  as  we  accept  the  havoc  of  tornadoes 
and  deluges,  and  that  we  must  bear  with  them 
with  as  much  fortitude  as  we  could  gather  from 
religion  and  philosophy.  But  gradually  my  read- 
ing extended,  and  I  found  that  those  evils  are  to 
be  laid,  not  at  the  door  of  Providence,  but  at  the 
door  of  mankind ;  that  they  are,  in  a  large  meas- 
ure, due  to  ignorance,  stupidity,  and  sin. 

"The  most  common  cause  of  blindness  is 
ophthalmia  of  the  new-born.  One  pupil  in  every 
three  in  the  Institute  for  the  Blind  in  New  York 
City  was  blinded  in  infancy  by  this  disease ; 
nearly  all  of  the  sixteen  babes  in  the  Sunshine 
Home,  in  Brooklyn ;  six  hundred  sightless  per- 
sons in  the  State  of  New  York ;  between  six 
thousand  and  seven  thousand  persons  m  the 
United  States,  were  plunged  into  darkness  by 
ophthalmia  of  the  new-born. 

"What  is  the  cause  of  ophthalmia  neonatori- 
um?  It  is  a  specific  germ  communicated  to  the 
child  by  the  mother  at  birth.  Previous  to  the 


102  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

child's  birth,  she  has  unconsciously  received  it 
through  infection  from  her  husband.  In  mercy 
let  it  be  remembered,  the  father  does  not  know 
he  has  so  foully  destroyed  the  eyes  of  his  child 
and  handicapped  him  for  life.  It  is  a  part  of  the 
bitter  harvest  of  the  'Wild  Oats'  he  has  sown. 
Society  has  smiled  on  his  'youthful  recklessness,' 
because  Society  does  not  know  that  'they  en- 
slave their  children's  children  who  make  com- 
promise with  sin.' 

"Society  has  yet  to  learn  that  the  blind  beggar 
at  the  street  corner,  the  epileptic  child,  the  wo- 
man on  the  operating  table,  are  the  wages  of 
'youthful  indiscretion.'  Today,  science  is  veri- 
fying what  the  Old  .Testament  taughth  three 
thousands  years  ago,  and  the  time  has  come  when 
there  is  no  longer  the  excuse  of  ignorance. 
Knowledge  has  been  given  us ;  it  is  our  part  to 
apply  it. 

"Of  the  consequences  of  social  sin,  blindness 
is  by  no  means  the  most  terrible.  The  same  in- 
fection that  blots  out  the  eyes  of  the  baby  is  re- 
sponsible for  many  childless  homes;  for  thou- 
sands of  cases  of  lifelong  invalidism;  for  eighty 
per  cent,  of  all  the  inflammatory  diseases  peculiar 
to  woman;  and  for  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  all 
operations  performed  on  mothers  to  save  their 
lives." 

Jim  Miller  stopped  and  sobbed.  The  tears  were 
blinding  his  eyes  and  a  thousand  emotions  were 
struggling  within  him  for  supremacy.  The  old 
Doctor  sat  very  quiet.  His  eyes,  too,  were  full 
of  tears,  and  he  was  dreading  the  talk  that  must 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  103 

follow-    But  Jim  Miller  had  not  finished  reading. 

"The  day  has  come  when  women  must  face  the 
truth.  They  can  not  escape  the  evil  unless  they 
have  the  knowledge  that  saves.  Must  we  leave 
young  girls  to  meet  the  danger  in  the  dark  be- 
cause we  dare  not  turn  the  light  on  our  social 
wickedness?  False  delicacy  and  prudery  must 
give  place  to  precise  information  and  common 
sense.  It  is  high  time  to  abolish  falsehood  and 
let  the  plain  truth  come  in.  Out  with  the 
cowardice  that  shuts  the  eyes  to  immorality  that 
causes  disease  and  human  misery.  I  am  confi- 
dent that,  when  the  people  know  the  truth,  the  day 
of  deliverance  for  mother  and  child  will  be  at  hand. 

"We  must  set  to  work,  in  the  right  direction, 
the  three  great  agencies  which  inform  and  edu- 
cate us :  the  Church,  the  School,  and  the  Press. 
If  they  remain  silent,  obdurate,  they  must  bear 
the  odium  that  recoils  upon  evil-doers.  They 
may  not  listen,  at  first,  to  our  pleas  for  light  and 
knowledge.  They  may  combine  to  baffle  us ;  but 
there  will  rise,  again  and  again,  to  confront 
them,  the  beseeching  forms  of  little  children  — 
deaf,  blind,  crooked  of  limb,  and  vacant  of 
mind." 

The  latter  part  of  the  article  was  read  brok- 
enly, and  there  were  many  pauses  to  allow  the 
lump  that  was  in  the  reader's  throat  to  recede. 
As  he  finished,  the  paper  fell  from  his  hands,  and 
he  sat  for  some  minutes  as  one  dazed.  He  was 
uncertain  how  to  begin  the  questions  that  he  felt 
were  already  answered.  At  last,  he  laid  a  hand  on 
the  Doctor's  knee,  and  asked : 


104  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Tell  me,  Doctor,  is  it  all  true?" 

"I  am  sorry  to  have  to  tell  you  that  you  may 
consider  Miss  Keller  an  authority  on  the  subject. 
She  has  written  wisely  and  well." 

"I  am  to  understand,  then,  that  my  child  died, 
after  her  awful  suffering,  because  she  married 
a  man  who  had  sowed  wild  oats?" 

"I  was  present  at  both  operations,  and  I  can 
speak  advisedly:  undoubtedly,  Allie's  trouble  was 
solely  the  result  of  this  infection." 

"And  my  child  went  to  the  surgeon's  table  and 
to  her  grave,  the  innocent  victim  of  the  'neces- 
sary evil.'  O  my  God !  Is  it  possible !" 

Dr.  McConnell  had  never  seen  a  strong  man 
so  moved  as  Jim  Miller  was  that  day,  as  he  faced 
the  truth  about  social  sin. 

"Don't  take  it  so  hard,  my  friend.  It  is  ter- 
rible, I  know ;  but  it  is  only  one  case  out  of 
multiplied  thousands.  All  about  you  are  the 
victims  of  this  same  monster." 

Jim  looked  up,  and  there  was  despair  in  his 
voice  as  he  asked:  "And  Little  Jim — that  is  the 
cause  of  his  blindness?" 

"Dr.  Roberts  says  it  is  ophthalmia." 

"And  did  you  know  all  this  before  my  girls 
married?" 

"Not  as  I  know  it  now-  You  see,  we  are  just 
discovering  these  things.  I  knew  that  many  of 
our  troubles  arose  from  the  profligate  lives  of  our 
young  men;  but  I  have  learned  much  in  that  re- 
gard within  the  last  two  years." 

"You  must  have  known  whether  Maury  Tall- 
man  was  fit  to  marry  my  child." 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  105 

"Do  you  forget  that  we  talked  of  that  very 
thing  before  the  twins  married,  and  I  told  you 
that  I  was  sure  Mr.  Wright  had  sown  wild  oats. 
You  treated  the  matter  lightly,  then." 

"That  is  what  is  killing  me.  I  prided  myself 
in  my  stock,  and  I  would  not  breed  even  a  hog 
to  a  defective  animal ;  but  I  gave  my  girls  away 
to  diseased  men.  What  a  fool  I  have  been.  Oh, 
by  a  thousand  times,  I  would  rather  my  twins 
had  died  in  infancy  than  that  they  should  have 
come  to  this!" 

"But  you  did  not  know." 

"No,  I  did  not  know.  And  why?  Because  of 
the  'ethics'  of  the  medical  profession.  Every 
doctor  who  knows  of  these  things,  and  then  lets 
his  patients  go  on  and  marry  under  such  circum- 
stances is  a  party  to  the  crime.  Would  you  al- 
low your  own  child  to  marry  such  a  man?" 

"I  am  glad  you  ask  that  question.  You  will 
not  be  so  bitter  toward  me  when  you  know  that 
I  have  been  fighting  for  six  months  to  keep  my 
daughter,  Mrs.  Hawks,  off  the  operating  table, 
and  I  suspect  I  have  lost  the  battle.  No,  I  did 
not  exactly  know  that  Bert  Hawks  was  not  fit  to 
marry  her;  but  I  knew  that  he  had  led  a  fast 
life.  So  you  see,  I,  too,  have  had  my  awaken- 
ing, and  I  can  sympathize  with  you  as  few 
men  can.  I  have  determined  to  use  my  utmost  en- 
deavor to  protect  innocent  lives  hereafter,  no  differ- 
ence what  the  cost  to  me." 

"You  infer  that  all  men  who  have  been  'fast' 
are  physically  unfit  to  marry.  Is  that  true?" 

"Yes!     Recent  investigations  disclose  the  fact 


106  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

that  four  out  of  five  young  men  over  eighteen 
years  old  have  been  infected  by  the  germs  God 
has  appointed  to  live  in  the  wild  oats  patch  to 
punish  all  who  enter  there.  And,  once  diseased, 
they  are  never  fit  to  marry  your  daughter  or 
mine." 

"Then  why,  in  the  name  of  womanhood, 
haven't  we  laws  on  our  statute-books  forbidding 
them  to  marry?" 

"That  is  coming.  I  hope  to  live  until  the  time 
when  all  applicants  for  marriage  license  will  have 
to  get  certificates  from  reputable  physicians  at- 
testing to  their  physical  fitness  to  marry." 

For  some  minutes,  Jim  Miller  looked  out  of 
the  window  at  the  clouds  all  tinged  with  the 
glow  of  sunset.  Then,  he  turned  and  spoke  with 
great  earnestness. 

"Would  to  God  I  had  known  all  this  three 
years  ago.  I  feel  something  akin  to  murder  in 
my  heart  toward  the  men  who  have  ruined  my 
daughters.  But  I  must  grip  myself  and  do  my 
best  for  all  concerned.  We  have  laws  on  our 
statute-books  for  the  protection  of  our  cattle, 
horses,  hogs,  and  even  for  our  dogs  and  wild 
birds ;  but,  while  we  have  the  inspector  writing 
a  permit  to  move  cattle  that  are  free  of  ticks, 
the  minister  is  marrying  our  children  to  persons 
who  have  all  kinds  of  diseases.  It  is  a  travesty 
on  the  name  of  civilization.  I  shall  offer  myself 
as  a  candidate  for  the  next  legislature,  and  my 
platform  will  be  along  these  lines.  Meantime,  I 
want  you  to  promise  me  that  you  will  give  me 
a  report  on  any  young  man  I  may  send  to  you 
for  examination  before  he  can  marry  Dixie.  That 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  107 

man  does  not  live  who  can  get  my  consent  to 
marry  her  until  I  am  satisfied  on  this  point.  I 
haven't  another  daughter  to  sacrifice  on  the  altar 
of  our  social  wickedness." 

"Jim  Miller,  you  are  a  real  man.  I  believe 
God  has  allowed  all  this  to  come  to  you  to 
arouse  you  for  the  defense  of  future  generations. 
Send  your  man  to  me  whenever  you  get  ready, 
and  I  will  exhaust  my  skill  for  the  protection  of 
your  other  child.  Also  I  will  help  you  in  your 
fight  by  giving  you  all  the  data  and  help  I  can." 

"I  thank  you,  Dr.  McConnell.  I  shall  rely  on 
your  assistance  in  many  ways.  I  am  going  to 
have  this  article  by  Miss  Keller  printed  and  use 
it  in  my  campaign ;  and,  if  you  see  other  articles 
along  this  line,  clip  them  for  me.  This  State  is 
going  to  have  some  light  on  this  subject  whether 
I  am  elected  or  not-" 

Jim  Miller  stood  in  the  gathering  gloom  of  the 
Doctor's  office,  and,  to  the  man  of  medicine,  he 
looked  like  a  Moses  in  dignity,  a  Daniel  in  pur- 
psoe,  and  a  Lincoln  in  calm  determination  to 
emancipate  the  millions  of  women  and  children 
that  seemed  to  cry  to  him  out  of  their  bondage 
to  the  passions  of  depraved  manhood.  Silently, 
they  shook  hand,  and  Jim  Miller  went  down  the 
stairs  and  got  into  his  automobile.  His  first  in- 
tention was  to  drive  home  to  his  wife;  but  he 
did  not  feel  ready  to  tell  her  what  he  knew  and 
felt,  so  he  drove  the  car  down  the  river-road.  The 
full  moon  was  rising  over  the  tree-tops  and  the 
evening  air  felt  gracious  to  his  hot  brow.  Five 
miles  from  town,  he  stopped  the  car  on  the  bank 


108  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

of  the  clear  stream,  and  sat  listening  to  the  night- 
sounds  about  him.  Across  the  river,  a  whippoor- 
will  was  calling  to  his  mate,  somewhere  a  cow 
was  lowing,  and  all  nature  was  tranquil  and  beau- 
tiful. The  lines  of  the  poet  came  to  him  with 
new  meaning: 

"Only  man  is  vile." 

Then,  he  gazed  up  at  the  stars.  Somewhere, 
out  there,  his  child  was  beyond  the  reach  of  it 
all.  He  bared  his  head  and  sighed  deeply.  Then, 
he  reached  out  a  hand  toward  the  twinkling  stars 
and  cried: 

"O  Allie,  my  beautiful  child.  I  shall  give  my 
life  to  save  others  from  the  Valley  of  Shadows. 
If  only  I  may  do  that,  I  shall  not  have  lived  in 
vain.  That  shall  be  my  revenge,  and  I  will  leave 
all  else  to  God-" 

Then,  he  turned  the  car  toward  home. 

Mrs.  Miller  was  waiting  for  him  with  great 
anxiety.  She  wanted  to  know  the  result  of  his 
interview,  and  he  had  been  gone  so  long  that  she 
was  frightened. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  dear,"  he  said  gently.  "I 
was  longer  than  I  thought.  I  could  not' come 
back  until  I  had  time  to  think,  so  I  drove  down 
the  river,  and,  see,  I  am  calm  now-  The  storm  has 
passed,  and  I  am  a  better  man." 

He  told  her  the  whole  horrible  truth.  He 
knew  she  was  strong  enough  to  bear  it,  for  she 
was  the  mother  of  that  other  woman  who  had 
so  nobly  borne  the  shock  of  her  child's  blindness. 
It  is  uncertainty  that  kills  a  woman,  and  it  was  a 
relief  to  this  one  to  know  the  things  her  husband 


JIM    MILLER'8    GIRLS  109 

had  to  tell  her.  Most  of  it  was  a  revelation  to 
her ;  she  had  been  reared  far  away  from  the  wick- 
edness of  the  towns  and  cities,  and  knew  nothing 
of  their  vice. 

When  he  had  finished,  she  looked  up  into  his 
face  and  said :  "James,  dear,  I  am  so  glad  God 
gave  me  a  pure  man  for  a  husband." 

"Yes,  darling  wife,  I  met  you  at  the  altar  as 
pure  as  I  expected  you  to  be-  I  never  went  into 
the  wild  oats  patch ;  my  mother  stood  between 
me  and  that  kind  of  life.  I  could  not  go  there 
thinking  of  her.  I  thank  God  she  saved  me,  and 
thus  saved  you,  and  our  children.  But  to  think 
that  two  of  our  girls  have  become  victims  of 
men  who  think  their  sin  a  'necessary  evil'  makes 
my  blood  surge  in  my  veins.  That  is  the  thing 
I  have  had  to  conquer  today." 

"I  am  so  glad  you  have  conquered.  We  will 
leave  their  punishment  to  One  who  is  wiser  than 
we-  Oh,  what  a  cruel  world!  And  to  think  of 
the  thousands  that  are  suffering  what  Jessie  is 
suffering,  and  hordes  are  going  to  their  graves 
as  Allie  went.  Can  we  do  nothing  to  save 
them?" 

"That  is  another  question  [  have  settled  this 
evening.  I  told  Dr.  McConnell  that  I  am  going 
to  offer  for  the  next  legislature,  and  I  shall  try 
to  pass  some  laws  for  the  control  of  this  very 
matter.  I  have  not  had  time  to  think  it  all  out 
yet,  but  I  am  sure  there  will  be  a  way  to  regulate 
the  marriage  contract  so  that  a  girl  will  be  safe 
in  going  to  the  altar  with  a  man.  And  we  will 
have  to  plan  to  educate  our  young,  too.  We  can 


110  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

only  hope  to  have  restrictive  laws  as  an  expedi- 
ent until  we  can  educate  the  next  generation." 

"How  you  cheer  my  heart,  James.  I  want  to 
help  you  in  this  great  work.  We  will  just  give 
our  lives  to  it.  We  have  money  enough  to  make 
an  effective  campaign,  and  it  will  be  so  much 
better  than  giving  your  time  to  improving 
stock." 

"Yes,  I  will  give  the  same  attention,  and  more, 
to  the  improvement  of  men  that  I  have  always 
given  to  horses  and  cattle.  It  is  a  great  under- 
taking for  a  man  who  has  never  been  a  platform 
speaker.  I  will  have  to  learn  politics,  and  I  will 
have  to  study  this  question  until  T  become  an 
authority  on  it.  I  shall  go  to  the  city  tomorrow 
and  provide  myself  with  the  best  library  to  be 
had,  and  I  shall  consult  the  best  medical  au- 
thority in  the  State.  I  wish  I  was  twenty  years 
younger." 

"You  will  do  better  that  you  are  a  mature 
man.  I  am  proud  of  you  tonight,  my  husband. 
God  bless  you,  and  may  you  accomplish  this 
great  thing  for  the  race.** 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  111 

CHAPTER  XI. 

DIXIE'S  PROMISE. 

The  next  morning  Jim  Miller  left  his  break- 
fast untasted,  and  took  a  long  walk  up  the  creek 
to  Indian  Bluff.  He  had  slept  little,  and  he  was 
having  a  battle  yet  this  morning.  Dixie  would 
be  home  from  school  during  the  week,  and  his 
concern  for  her  was  deep.  He  had  decided  that 
he  must  warn  her  of  the  danger  that  had  taken 
her  sisters  unawares;  but  how  to  go  about  it,  and 
just  how  much  to  tell  her;  how  to  bring  the  mes- 
sage home  to  her  heart  without  giving  her  a 
shock  or  embittering  her  against  all  mankind, 
and  the  problem  of  her  having  so  fully  given 
Drury  Patterson  her  heart  that  she  would  marry 
him  anyway;  these  were  the  questions  that  he 
pondered  as  he  sat  on  the  Bluff  and  watched  a 
pair  of  white  cranes  catching  fish  in  the  creek 
below. 

The  Bluff  was  of  soft  stone,  and  every  visitor 
had  scratched  his  or  her  name  on  the  smooth 
surface.  His  eyes  caught  the  names  of  Jessie 
and  Maury  written  together,  and  then  Allie's 
and  Maxwell  Wright's,  with  the  date,  "April 

20,  19 "  That  was  the  day  they  had  become 

engaged,  and  he  turned  sick  at  heart  as  he  looked 
at  the  inscription.  It  was  as  though  he  was 
at  her  grave  and  this  was  her  tombstone.  Then, 
he  saw  Dixie's  name,  and  Drury  Patterson's  un- 


112  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

der  it,  and  the  date  was  not  quite  a  year  in  the 
past.  He  could  stand  no  more,  so  he  crawled  down 
and  walked  back  across  the  fields. 

His  face  was  so  white  and  drawn  when  his 
wife  came  to  the  parlor  to  answer  his  summons,  that 
she  inquired  if  he  was  feeling  badly. 

"Yes,  Mollie,  I  am  heart-sick.  I  have  been 
trying  to  solve  the  problem  of  protecting  Dixie 
from  the  tragedy  that  has  overtaken  her  sisters, 
and  I  have  come  to  the  settled  conviction  that 
there  is  only  one  way  to  do  it.  She  must  be  told 
the  truth  about  the  whole  matter,  and  warned 
against  marrying  such  a  man." 

"I  agree  with  you  on  that.  I,  too,  have  been 
thinking,  and  I  am  concerned  for  both  of  the 
children.  You  must  talk  to  Dixie;  you  can  do 
that  better  than  I  can.  I  can  talk  to  Jack,  and 
will  do  so ;  but  I  want  you  to  talk  to  Dixie." 

"I  have  fought  all  that  out;  I  want  to  talk  to 
her  so  she  will  have  confidence  in  me  to  protect 
her,  and  I  want  to  impress  her  so  deeply  that 
she  will  not  allow  her  heart  to  influence  her  head 
when  the  test  comes." 

"I  am  going  to  have  Jack  read  the  article  by 
Miss  Keller ;  then,  I  am  going  to  talk  to  him.  I 
want  him  to  be  as  pure  as  his  sister." 

"Yes,  indeed,  I  am  going  to  the  city  today, 
as  I  had  planned,  and  I  shall  come  back  by 
Traskwood,  and  bring  Dixie  home  with  me." 

It  was  a  week  later  that  Jim  Miller  sent  for 
his  daughter  to  come  to  the  library.  When  Dixie 
entered  the  room,  she  found  him  sitting  with  his 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  113 

face  in  his  hands.  She  went  to  him  and  put  her 
hand  on  his  head. 

"What  is  it,  Daddy?" 

"Sit  down,  Dixie,  I  want  to  talk  to  you.  Do 
you  believe  your  father  loves  you?" 

"Why  Daddy,  what  a  question !  I  know  you 
love  me." 

"Well,  out  of  the  love  I  bear  you,  my  child, 
I  want  to  talk  very  seriously  to  you  this  morn- 
ing. You  are  almost  a  mature  woman,  and  I 
hope  you  will  not  be  shocked  at  what  I  have  to 
say.  I  would  rather,  however,  be  tied  to  a  post 
and  lashed  with  a  horsewhip,  than  to  have  to 
tell  you  this  sad  story.  I  have  always  been  a 
proud  man — too  proud — but  I  am  humbled  today 
with  the  knowledge  that  my  sex  is  weak  and 
wicked.  We  talked  frankly  about  alcoholism 
last  year.  But  that  is  a  simple  question  com- 
pared with  this.  I  have  an  article  here  that  I 
want  to  read  to  you.  Then,  we  must  plan  for 
your  protection." 

When  the  reading  was  done,  he  told  her  all ; 
and,  noble  girl  that  she  was,  she  saw  his  suffer- 
ing and  made  it  easier  for  him  by  looking  him 
in  the  face  the  while,  and  speaking  a  word  now 
and  then  to  put  him  at  his  ease-  As  he  finished 
telling  her  of  his  plans  and  purposes,  he  took 
her  hand  in  his  and  said: 

"And  now,  daughter,  I  want  you  to  promise 
me  that  you  will  not  marry  Drury  Patterson  nor 
any  other  man  until  he  shall  bring  me  a  certificate 
from  the  physician  that  I  select  that  he  has  never 
been  contaminated  by  these  diseases." 


114  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

She  looked  at  him  steadily  for  a  full  minute. 
Then,  she  flung  her  arms  about  his  neck,  and 
sobbed : 

"Daddy,  will  you  protect  me  like  that?" 

"Yes,  child,  with  every  drop  of  blood  in  my 
veins." 

"You  are  the  best  daddy  in  the  world.  Of 
course,  I  will  promise  you.  I  do  promise.  How 
I  do  love  you,  and  how  I  admire  your  courage  in 
talking  to  me  about  it,  when  I  could  tell  you 
were  suffering  in  the  effort." 

"Suffer!  Oh,  how  I  have  suffered  since  I  found 
all  this  out,  only  last  week!  I  had  a  battle  about 
telling  you,  partly  because  of  my  proud  disposi- 
tion, and  partly  because  it  is  a  delicate  subject 
ior  a  father  to  talk  to  his  grown  daughter 
about." 

"But  is  it  not  a  father's  place  to  talk  to  his 
daughter  when  there  is  so  much  at  stake?" 

"That  is  true.  Yet  it  does  not  make  the  task 
any  the  less  delicate.  Thank  God,  it  is  done,  and 
I  want  you  to  have  all  confidence  in  me.  When- 
ever you  want  me  to,  I  will  investigate  the  man 
who  wants  to  marry  you.  I  shall  not  try  to  pre- 
vent your  marrying ;  for  there  are  pure,  good  men, 
and  I  shall  be  glad  to  receive  any  man  as  a  son- 
in-law,  if  you  love  him,  and  he  is  worthy  to  be 
your  husband." 

"What  do  you  think  of  Drury?" 

"I  am  pretty  well  satisfied  that  he  is  a  gentle- 
man in  every  sense  of  the  word.  But  we  can 
not  afford  to  make  any  mistakes,  and  he  will  have 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  115 

to  undergo  the  same  tests  that  any  other  man 
would." 

"Of  course;  but  I  am  sure  he  is  clean." 

"That  is  my  only  fear  about  the  future.  Surely 
'love  covers  a  multitude  of  sins/  and  most  women 
will  marry  the  man  they  love  even  if  they  know 
they  are  to  suffer  by  it." 

"But  I  will  not.  I  will  never  marry  any  man 
unless  he  can  come  to  me  as  pure  as  I  go  to  him." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  it.  I  had  rather 
you  would  die  today,  than  that  you  live  to  suffer 
as  Allie  did,  or  that  you  should  be  the  mother 
of  a  child  like  Little  Jim." 

"Does  Mother  know  all  this?" 

"Yes ;  she  and  I  talked  it  all  over,  and  she  asked 
me  to  talk  to  you.  Go  and  tell  her  to  come  here." 

When  she  came,  Dixie  repeated  her  promise  to 
them  both.  Mrs.  Miller  slipped  her  arm  about 
the  girl's  waist  and  drew  her  to  her  heart. 

"My  child,  you  have  the  best  father  in  the 
world." 

"That's  what  I  told  him.  And  I  have  the  sweet- 
est mother  in  the  world,  too.  Haven't  I,  Daddy?" 

"Yes,  indeed !" 

The  two  old  lovers  kissed  each  other ;  then, 
they  kissed  the  daughter  whom  they  were  under- 
taking to  protect.  It  was  a  great  day  in  the 
Miller  household.  Jim  Miller  performed  another 
hard  task  that  day.  He  wrote  to  Maxwell 
Wright.  Kindly,  yet  plainly,  he  told  him  what 
he  had  discovered,  and  asked  him  to  read  the 
article  Miss  Keller  had  written ;  and  he  advised 
him  that  he  must  never  marry  another  woman, 


116  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

lest  he  bring  her  down  as  Allie  had  gone.  His 
hardest  task  was  to  keep  back  the  reproach  he 
felt;  but  he  succeeded  wonderfully.  The  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  Wright  family  gave  him 
more  charity  than  he  would  have  had  otherwise. 

He  made  two  or  three  attempts  to  write  to 
Maury  Tallman ;  but,  each  time,  he  tore  the  let- 
ter up,  and  ended  by  deciding  to  wait  until  he 
could  talk  to  him  face  to  face.  Who  knows 
whether  he  made  a  mistake  or  not?  It  will  take 
eternity  to  reveal. 

Although  Dixie  was  sure  of  Drury's  innocence, 
she  found  herself  under  a  peculiar  restraint  when 
in  his  presence.  He  noticed  it  and  twitted  her 
pleasantly  about  it;  but  she  could  not  overcome 
it.  She  studied  his  parents  more  closely  than  she 
had  ever  done  before.  She  visited  Mrs.  Patter- 
son in  her  home,  and  she  was  delighted  to  find 
her  a  cultured  woman.  She  was  crushed  by  the 
dissipation  of  her  husband,  and  by  their  financial 
straits;  but  she  impressed  Dixie  as  a  fine  char- 
acter who  had  been  limited  by  her  environment. 

Drury  was  making  fine  progress  in  his  study 
of  medicine,  and,  during  this  summer,  he  was 
working  a^the  Palace  Drug  Store.  He  had  had 
his  eyes  opened  to  a  great  deal  by  hearing  the 
lectures  at  the  University,  and  his  astonishment 
was  great  when  he  found  how  wicked  young 
men  of  the  little  village  of  Tamalpias  were.  Dr. 
McConnell  took  much  interest  in  him,  and  told 
him  much.  He  even  secured  the  article  Jim 
Miller  had  read  to  him,  and  had  the  young  man 
read  it.  His  delight  was  great  when  Drury  ex- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  117 

pressed  himself  very  clearly  on  the  subject,  and 
told  him  how  glad  he  was  that  he  had  never  sowed 
wild  oats.  Encouraged  by  this,  the  Doctor  told  him 
of  his  interview  with  Jim  Miller,  and  of  that  man's 
plans  for  the  salvation  of  the  race,  also  of  his  deci- 
sion that  only  a  clean  man  could  have  his  daughter. 

"I  certainly  am  thankful  you  have  told  me  all 
this,  Doctor.  Perhaps  you  know  I  have  been  cor- 
responding with  Miss  Dixie?" 

"No,"  exclaimed  the  Doctor,  in  some  surprise, 
"I  did  not  know  that,  or  perhaps  I  should  not 
have  spoken  so  frankly."  . 

"I  am  glad  you  did  speak  freely  to  me.  I  love 
Dixie  Miller,  and  I  thank  God  I  am  worthy,  phy- 
sically, to  marry  her  when  I  get  through  school 
and  am  settled.  If  I  was  not  clean,  I  would 
never  marry.  I  am  in  favor  of  Mr.  Miller's  pro- 
posed laws,  and  am  sure  he  will  have  no  opposi- 
tion except  from  those  who  could  not  get  the  cer- 
tificates. I  shall  keep  myself  pure,  never  doubt 
that." 

"I  have  always  liked  you,  Drury,  and  I  want 
you  to  finish  school  and  come  into  this  office 
with  me.  I  am  getting  old  and  shall  have  to 
retire  within  a  few  years,  and  I  want  you  to  suc- 
ceed me  in  my  large  practice." 

"You  embarrass  me,  Doctor.  I  appreciate 
your  most  kind  offer,  and,  if  I  should  decide  to 
settle  down  to  a  general  practice,  nothing  would 
suit  me  better.  But  I  am  seriously  inclined  to 
surgery.  If  I  should  become  a  surgeon,  I  want  to 
be  the  very  best,  and  would  likely  have  to  locate 
in  a  city." 


118  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Dr.  McConnell  looked  at  the  boy  for  several 
seconds  before  replying.  His  own  son  had  disap- 
pointed him;  for  he  had  wanted  Tom  to  be  a 
surgeon,  but  Tom  had  frittered  away  his  school- 
days with  athletics,  and  now  was  a  worn-out 
baseball  player.  If  only  Tom  had  been  such  a 
young  man  as  this  child  of  drunken  John  Patter- 
son! Then,  he  spoke  to  Drury  again. 

"There  is  only  one  lion  in  your  path,  son,  and 
that  is  the  beast  that  slew  your  father's  man- 
hood and  will-power.  You  may  not  know  it,  but 
it  is  a  fact  that  a  child  inherits  his  father's  ap- 
petites and  passions,  as  well  as  his  predisposi- 
tions to  disease.  Have  you  ever  desired  to 
drink  any  kind  of  stimulants?" 

"Never  in  my  life.  The  very  smell  of  whiskey 
is  repulsive  to  me." 

"Splendid !  You  must  be  careful,  though.  A 
doctor's  life  is  so  strenuous,  and  he  is  called  at 
all  hours  of  the  night,  until,  after  a  while,  he  feels 
that  a  little  stimulant  or  a  drug  will  brace  him 
up  and  help  him  to  be  more  alert  and  efficient. 
He  takes  an  occasional  drink,  or  dose,  and  it  is 
not  long  until  he  is  a  slave  to  a  habit.  If  you  ever 
start  like  that,  you  will  awaken  all  that  you  have  in- 
herited from  your  father,  and  your  course  will 
be  swift  and  brief." 

Drury  reddened  at  the  straightforward  words, 
and  he  realized,  as  never  before,  what  it  meant 
to  be  the  child  of  a  drunkard. 

"Isn't  it  strange,  Doctor,  that  I  haven't  this 
appetite,  if  I  am  ever  to  have  it?" 

"Yes !  You  are  now  past  twenty-one  years  old 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  119 

and  one  would  expect  that  there  would  be  some 
indication  of  the  tendency.  Really,  it  is  remark- 
able that  you  are  so  clear  of  it.  I  do  not  know 
that  I  have  ever  known  a  case  where  the  only 
child  of  such  a  father  was  entirely  averse  to  the 
taste  and  smell  of  whiskey.  It  is  passing 
strange ;  and,  if  you  will  pardon  me  for  saying  it,  I 
do  not  see  any  of  John  Patterson's  habits  or 
looks  about  you.  You  are  as  different  as  a  child 
can  be  from  his  parent.  Nor  do  you  resemble 
your  mother.  I  never  saw  her  people ;  but  you 
must  get  your  looks  and  predispositions  from 
them." 

"I  have  wondered  at  all  this  myself.  Mother 
has  never  told  me  a  thing  about  her  people.  I  do 
not  know  where  they  live.  She  seems  to  prefer 
that  I  never  know  about  them.  I  know  all  the 
Pattersons,  and  I  have  never  seen  one  that  I  look 
at  all  like,  nor  do  I  seem  to  have  anything  in  com- 
mon with  them." 

"Well,  let  us  hope  that  you  will  not  develop 
any  of  the  Patterson  traits.  They  are  all  good  peo- 
ple in  their  way,  but  they  are  all  dissipated.  Re- 
member that  I  am  your  friend,  and  come  to  me 
with  any  of  your  problems.  I  will  help  you  in  any 
way  that  I  can." 

Drury  always  made  friends  like  that.  He  did 
not  try  to  win  them ;  they  came  to  him  naturally ; 
and,  once  a  friend  to  him,  they  were  always  for 
him.  He  never  lost  a  friend. 


120  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   PRICE    MAURY   PAID. 

When  Maxwell  Wright  received  Jim  Miller's 
letter,  he  hurried  out  to  a  news-stand  and  pur- 
chased the  magazine  Mr.  Miller  had  referred  to, 
and  immediately  read  the  article.  The  effect  on 
him  was  not  so  rapid  as  it  had  been  on  his  father- 
in-law  ;  it  required  more  time  for  the  whole  thing 
to  become  comprehensive.  That  is  the  difference 
between  the  Northern  man  and  the  Southern. 
Your  Southerner  is  quick,  impulsive,  rash;  he 
thinks  of  murder  and  revenge  more  readily  than 
the  citizen  of  the  North.  The  Northern  man  puts 
more  value  on  life,  and  the  Southern  man  puts 
more  on  virtue.  If  one  violates  social  law  at  the 
North,  he  or  she  is  ostracized ;  but,  if  a  Southern 
home  is  invaded,  there  is  murder,  and  the  defense 
pleads  the  unwritten  law. 

So  Maxwell  Wright  sat  down  to  digest  the 
matter.  At  first,  he  was  inclined  to  scoff  at  the 
very  idea.  What  did  a  woman — and  a  woman 
that  had  been  blind  all  her  life — know  about 
such  things,  anyway?  Why,  he  knew  many 
young  men  that  had  gone  the  same  gaits  he  had, 
and  their  wives  were  neither  invalids  nor  their 
children  blind.  Well,  there  was  Wilbur  Thomas  ; 
his  wife  was  operated  on,  and  both  his  children 
deformed.  Yes,  and  Sam  Yoes's  wife  died  within 
a  year  after  their  marriage.  But  some  persons 
are  going  to  die  anyway,  and  women  have  always 
had  trouble. 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  121 

Then,  he  read  the  letter  and  the  article  again. 
This  time,  the  matter  took  a  more  serious  aspect 
in  his  mind.  He  determined  to  have  a  talk  with 
Dr.  Duncan.  .  But  the  Doctor  was  out  of  the  city 
and  would  not  return  for  a  week.  He  did  not 
have  a  friend  he  could  talk  to,  so  he  decided  to 
write  to  Maury  Tallman.  Jim  Miller  had  men- 
tioned the  fact  of  the  baby's  blindness,  and 
Maxwell  felt  that  he  and  Maury  were  fellow 
sufferers ;  \i  he  could  not  write  to  him,  whom 
could  he  consult  with?  Very  likely,  Mr.  Miller 
had  written  him,  too,  and  he  wondered  how  the 
fine  fellow  had  taken  it. 

Afterward,  he  wished  he  had  not  written.  But 
who  could  have  foreseen  the  crisis  impending? 

Maury  Tallman  was  becoming  somewhat  rec- 
onciled to  the  blindness  of  Little  Jim  when  he 
received  the  letter  from  New  York.  Business 
was  good,  and  he  was  in  better  spirits  than  he 
had  been  for  years.  The  bookkeeper  brought  in 
the  mail,  and  he  had  gone  through  most  of  it 
when  he  came  on  Maxwell's  letter.  They  had 
not  written  many  letters  to  each  other,  and  this 
long,  double-postage  letter  amused  him  as  he 
opened  it. 

"Ho,  ho,"  he  laughed,  "Maxwell  has  turned 
missionary  and  is  sending  me  a  bundle  of  tracts. 
Well,  I  guess  I  need  them  in  this  heathenish 
place." 

Then,  he  began  to  read. 

"What  on  earth  does  he  mean?  'It  seems  we 
are  both  under  the  same  condemnation.  If  the 
blind  woman  is  right,  I  am  no  less  than  a  mur- 


122  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

derer,  and  you  have  put  out  the  eyes  of  your  own 
child.'  I  wonder  if  he  has  gone  insane  over 
Allie's  death  poor  fellow.  'I  don't  believe  a  word 
of  it,  yet.  At  any  rate,  I  am  going  to  ask  Dr. 
Duncan  about  it  when  he  comes  home  next 
week.  Read  the  article  and  write  me  what  you 
think.' " 

By  the  time  the  letter  was  finished,  it  began 
to  dawn  on  the  reader  that,  in  some  way,  he  had 
caused  the  loss  of  his  child's  eyes,  and  that,  by 
the  same  rule,  Maxwell  was  charged  with  Allie's 
death. 

Then,  he  took  up  the  clipping  and  read  the 
words  that  had  caused  such  a  commotion  in  the 
Miller  home.  The  effect  was  altogether  different 
on  him  from  what  it  had  been  on  Maxwell.  The 
paper  rattled  in  his  hands,  and  the  cold  perspira- 
tion stood  on  his  face.  He  even  groaned  so 
audibly  that  the  bookkeeper  asked  him  if  he  had 
received  bad  news ;  but  he  was  lost  to  every- 
thing except  the  words  that  were  being  burned 
into  his  brain,  and  they  carried  the  weight  of  con- 
viction with  them.  He  took  them  at  their  full 
worth,  nor  questioned  their  truth  for  a  moment. 
Before  he  was  half  done  reading,  the  letters  ran 
together,  and  his  head  fell  on  the  desk  before 
him. 

"What  is  it,  Mr.  Tallman?  I  hope  you  haven't 
received  bad  news,"  and  the  bookkeeper  came 
near  him. 

"Yes,  quite  a  shock,  Mertens.  Bring  me  a 
glass  of  water,  please." 

When  he  had  taken  the  water,  and  had  re- 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  123 

covered  to  some  extent,  he  finished  reading  the 
paper.  Then,  he  excused  himself,  saying  that 
he  must  go  home  for  a  little  while.  He  started 
for  the  beautiful  cottage  on  the  white  hill  above 
the  business  section  of  the  town ;  but  he  was  too 
dazed  to  face  his  wife  just  yet;  he  must  have 
time  to  get  his  equilibrium,  so  he  turned  out  the 
street  that  led  to  a  deep,  dry  canyon,  where  cactus 
and  yucca  relieved  the  white  alkali  that  made 
the  country  so  glaring.  Arrived  at  the  wall  of 
the  canyon,  he  sat  down  and  went  over  his  past 
history  in  detail,  dwelling  with  bitterness  on  the 
few  incidents  that  haunted  him  like  specters, 
and  mocked  him  for  having  thought  there  was 
real  pleasure  in  sin.  What  he  had  called  "having 
a  little  fun,"  now  looked  like  crime;  having  "a 
high  old  time"  had  proved  to  be  a  revel  with 
Death.  Oh,  if  he  could  only  recall  the  years  of 
his  folly!  He  had  never  been  reckless  and  dis- 
sipated ;  only  two  or  three  times,  while  in  school, 
had  he  been  intoxicated ;  he  had  been  called  a 
"goody-goody"  boy  by  his  classmates  because 
he  would  not  take  in  the  town  with  them;  but 
he  had  limited  his  wildness  to  festal  occasions. 
He  had  laughed  at  the  penalty  assessed  against 
him  on  one  of  his  "flings,"  and  had  considered 
himself  fortunate  in  being  quickly  pronounced 
"all  right"  by  a  second-rate  doctor,  who  "prac- 
tised" for  the  college  boys. 

All  this,  and  more,  came  back  to  him  as  he  sat 
there  on  the  brink  of  the  canyon,  and  he  wished 
he  had  died  before  he  ever  went  to  college. 
Then,  a  dusky  face,  the  face  of  a  servant,  peered 


124  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

at  him  out  of  the  dim  past.  That  awful  curse 
of  the  South — two  races  living  practically  to- 
gether— has  ruined  many  young  lives.  The  ob- 
sequious, improvident  mulatto,  with  inordinate 
desires  for  the  finery  of  her  white  mistress,  and 
without  character  or  virtue,  is  a  real  menace  to 
the  adolescent  youth.  Old  Rilla's  muttering  had 
been  full  of  meaning,  after  all.  Oh,  how  he  hated 
himself! 

He  broke  a  leaf  off  a  Spanish  Dagger  that 
grew  within  his  reach.  Pressing  his  finger 
against  its  needlelike  point  caused  a  sharp  pain, 
and  he  saw  a  tiny  drop  of  blood  where  the  point 
had  entered.  As  in  a  trance,  he  lifted  the  leaf 
and  his  face  was  contorted  in  desperation  as  the 
wild  desire  to  prick  his  eyeballs,  and  live  a  life 
of  darkness  in  sympathy  and  companionship  with 
his  child,  entered  his  tortured  mind.  This  desire 
grew  apace,  and  would  doubtless  have  mastered 
him  had  he  not  thought  of  the  brand  it  would 
put  on  him.  It  would  be  the  mark  of  Cain,  and, 
everywhere  he  went  the  story  of  his  guilty  crime 
and  criminal  guilt  would  be  rehearsed.  He 
thought,  also,  of  the  handicap  it  would  put  on 
him  in  providing  for  them.  The  battle  raged 
for  more  than  an  hour,  and  the  tortures  of  the 
damned  can  be  no  keener  than  those  of  this  lone 
man,  whose  refinement  and  culture  only  in- 
creased his  capacity  for  suffering.  One  wild 
idea  of  self-punishment  after  another  clamored 
in  his  brain.  If  only  he  had  a  pistol,  he  would 
end  it  all  in  a  moment.  Looking  down,  he  could 
see  just  where  his  body  would  fall,  and  then  it 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  125 

would  tumble  to  the  next  ledge,  and,  finally,  it 
would  land  a  hundred  feet  below.  He  would  be 
missed,  and  they  might  search  for  him;  but  the 
vultures,  flying  high  above  him,  would  find  the 
body  and  pluck  out  the  eyes  before  the  searchers 
found  it  and  drove  them  away.  Yes,  that  would 
be  adequate  punishment  and  retribution. 

He  leaped  to  his  feet  with  settled  determina- 
tion to  get  a  pistol  and  commit  the  deed  at  once. 
He  argued  that  he  had  lost  self-respect,  and  that 
he  could  never  again  face  the  little  woman  he  had 
ruined,  nor  see  the  child  he  had  deprived  of 
sight.  He  was  unworthy  to  defile  the  pure  air 
with  his  breath,  and  the  sooner  he  launched  out 
into  the  unknown,  the  better  it  would  be  for  all 
concerned.  He  formulated  the  lie  he  would  tell 
the  dealer  as  an  excuse  for  wanting  the  gun,  and 
was  almost  in  the  door  of  the  shop  when  he 
thought  of  writing  Jessie  a  letter.  He  must  do 
that,  and  write  one  to  Jim  Miller,  too. 

He  returned  to  the  bank,  and  was  soon  at  work 
writing  Jessie.  It  was  hard  to  begin  just  right, 
and  he  tore  up  three  or  four  attempts  before  he 
got  the  first  paragraph  to  suit  him.  Then,  it  oc- 
curred to  him  that  he  must  give  her  evidence  of 
the  guilt  he  felt,  that  would  show  her  how  ut- 
terly impossible  it  was  for  him  ever  to  see  the 
baby's  blind  eyes  again.  Would  she  consider 
the  clipping  as  conclusive  as  he  knew  it  must 
be?  The  doubt,  once  suggested,  grew  graver 
and  graver,  until  he  sat  back  in  his  chair  and 
gazed  out  of  the  window  in  perplexed  study. 
Could  there  be  any  possible  chance  that  Miss 


126  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Keller  was  wrong?  There  was  only  one  person 
in  the  world  who  could  satisfy  his  mind  on  that 
question,  and  that  person  was  Dr.  Roberts.  Like 
a  drowning  man,  he  grasped  the  straw,  and,  in 
another  minute,  he  was  at  the  telephone. 

"Hello,  dear,"  he  called,  "I  have  a  sudden  call 
to  go  East,  and  must  start  on  the  next  train.  It 
leaves  within  thirty  minutes.  Could  you  run 
down  and  bring  me  a  hand-bag  and  some  laun- 
dry? No,  don't  try  to  bring  the  baby;  you  will 
not  have  time  for  that.  Get  Pablo  to  hitch  up, 
and  he  can  drive  you  to  the  station;  I'll  meet 
you  there.  All  right.  Hurry,  now." 

He  was  glad  the  train  was  on  time,  for  he 
wanted  to  get  away.  He  gave  hurried  instruc- 
tions to  the  assistant  cashier,  who  had  come  in, 
and  was  at  the  station  when  Jessie  arrived. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Maury,  that  you  have  to 
hurry  off  like  this?  You  look  troubled.  Is  there 
anything  wrong?" 

"O,  it  is  only  a  business  affair.  I  have  to  go  to 
Stockton  to  look  after  some  matters.  Don't 
worry,  dear.  If  everything  is  all  right,  I  shall 
return  on  the  first  train.  If  I  am  detained,  I  shall 
write  you  to-morrow.  Be  a  good  girl,  and  take 
care  of  yourself." 

With  feminine  intuition,  she  knew  something 
was  wrong,  and  she  wished  she  had  time  to  make 
him  tell  her  all  that  was  troubling  him.  But 
there  was  only  a  minute  more,  the  train  was 
even  now  whistling  for  the  station,  and  there 
were  people  about  them. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  127 

"Darling,"  she  whispered,  "what  is  it  that  is 
troubling  you?  Tell  me." 

"I  can't  now.  The  train  is  coming ;  but  it  will 
be  all  right." 

"Is  everything  all  right  at  the  bank?" 

"Yes,  indeed.  Run  along  now.  I  shall  either 
be  at  home  to-morrow  or  you  will  have  a  letter 
from  me  telling  you  all  about  it.  If  I  write,  I 
shall  put  a  special  delivery  stamp  on  the  letter, 
so  you  will  get  it  at  once." 

He  kissed  her  warmly,  and  she  clung  to  him 
until  he  had  to  run  to  catch  the  step  of  the  train 
as  it  pulled  out.  Her  heart  ached  for  the  man 
who  was  plainly  undergoing  a  crisis  in  his  life. 
She  was  scarcely  able  to  be  out  of  bed.  Her 
health  had  been  bad  ever  since  Little  Jim  came, 
and  she  had  kept  up  by  sheer  force  of  will.  A 
weaker  woman  would  have  given  up  to  invalid- 
ism;  but  she  was  unwilling  to  allow  any  one  to 
nurse  the  afflicted  child,  and  her  care  for  him 
took  her  mind  off  herself.  It  was  his  need  of  her 
that  made  her  hurry  back  home,  and  her  em- 
ployment kept  her  from  worrying  as  she  would 
have  done  had  she  been  idle. 

It  was  a  dreary  ride  for  Maury  Tallman.  He 
took  a  seat  in  the  Pullman,  where  he  would  be 
undisturbed,  and  he  re-read  Maxwell's  letter  and 
the  clipping.  More  than  it  had  done  before,  the 
letter  appealed  to  him,  and  the  ridicule  of  the 
correctness  of  the  article,  and  criticism  of  the 
author,  held  out  to  him  a  faint  hope  that  Max- 
well was  correct.  His  own  feeling  in  the  matter, 
however,  was  that  Jim  Miller  would  never  have 


128  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

written  his  son-in-law  such  a  letter  without 
having  what  he  considered  absolute  proof  of  the 
justness  of  his  charge. 

It  was  night  when  he  arrived  in  the  city;  but 
Dr.  Roberts  was  at  home,  and  he  answered  the 
telephone  himself,  telling  Maury  to  come  right 
out  to  his  residence.  The  interview  was  held  in 
the  same  library  where  the  Doctor  had  broken 
the  news  of  the  blindness  of  the  baby  to  him. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  Mr.  Tallman.  How 
are  Mrs.  Tallman  and  the  baby?" 

"Mrs.  Tallman  is  not  well ;  she  has  never  re- 
gained her  strength;  but  she  seems  better  than 
she  has  been.  The  baby  has  never  had  a  sick 
day.  He  is  the  happiest,  best  baby  I  ever  saw." 

"I  am  glad.  And  I  hope  your  wife  will  be 
herself  again  soon." 

Maury  was  calm  and  quiet.  He  had  survived 
the  first  shock,  and  he  had  himself  so  well  in 
hand  that  he  was  sure  he  could  go  through  this 
interview  without  betraying  his  plans. 

"Dr.  Roberts,"  he  said  in  a  businesslike  tone, 
"I  have  a  few  questions  to  ask  you,  and  I  am 
sure  you  will  answer  me  frankly.  I  understand 
that  ophthalmia  neonatorium  is  responsible  for 
nearly  all  the  blindness  of  infants.  You  treated 
my  child,  and  you  know  definitely  whether  that 
is  the  disease  that  destroyed  his  vision.  Was  it?" 

"That  is  a  direct  question,  Mr.  Tallman,  and 
I  can  not  afford  to  give  you  anything  but  a  direct 
answer.  I  do  not  know  where  you  got  the 
technical  term,  but  that  is  the  cause  of  you  baby's 
blindness." 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  ±29 

"Thank  you.  Now,  another  question;  is  it 
a  fact  that  that  disease  is  the  result  of  a  specific 
germ  conveyed  to  the  eyes  of  the  child  by  its  mo- 
ther at  birth  ?" 

"I  see  you  have  some  definite  knowledge  of 
the  matter,  Mr.  Tallman.  I  do  not  know  why 
you  want  to  know  all  this  from  me ;  but,  as  be- 
fore, I  can  only  answer  in  the  affirmative." 

"Very  well.  Is  that  germ  the  result  of  social 
sin?" 

Never,  in  all  his  experience,  had  the  Doctor 
been  so  quizzed ;  nor  had  he  ever  known  a  lay- 
man to  have  such  exact  knowledge  of  the  matter 
in  hand.  He  realized  the  cold,  clear  questions 
of  the  business  man,  and  he  answered  in  the  same 
clear  fashion. 

"It  is." 

"Is  there  any  possible  chance  that  my  child 
was  infected  any  other  way?" 

"Yes.  It  is  possible  to  convey  the  disease  on 
a  towel,  or  in  some  other  way.  But  that  is  not 
probable.  You  have  asked  me  some  plain  ques- 
tions, and  I  have  answered  them  as  plainly.  You 
will,  of  course,  allow  me  to  make  further  state- 
ments regarding  the  matter." 

"Yes.  Tell  me  all.  That  is  why  I  came  to 
you." 

If  Dr.  McConnel  had  opened  the  eyes  of  the 
father  of  the  twins,  Dr.  Roberts  let  in  the  light 
of  science  on  the  subject  to  the  banker,  who  sat 
before  him  that  night.  He  could  not  understand 
the  calm  young  father,  who  discussed  the  affliction 
of  innocent  women  and  children  as  he  would 


130  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

have  discussed  a  financial  problem ;  but  he  knew 
he  was  relieving  his  own  mind  of  a  burden  that 
had  been  on  it  for  years.  He  told  Maury  of  the 
many  cases  that  were  coming  to  him  daily.  Only 
that  day,  he  had  treated  three  babies  suffering 
from  this  very  trouble,  and  he  was  going  to  be 
able  to  save  only  one  pair  of  little  eyes. 

"If  I  could  have  seen  your  child  a  week  sooner, 
I  might  have  saved  it.  I  know  I  could  have 
cured  it  during  the  first  stages  of  the  disease." 

He  wondered  that  the  man  who  had  chided 
himself  before  did  not  do  so  now;  but  Maury 
was  not  thinking  of  that.  Under  that  calm  ex- 
terior, the  battle  was  beginning  to  rage  again, 
and  he  was  sure  that  he  never  could  see  the 
innocent  victim  of  his  own  folly  again. 

"I  thank  you,  Dr.  Roberts,"  he  said,  as  he  arose 
to  leave,  "and  I  appreciate  your  frankness  All 
that  you  have  told  me  ought  to  be  told  to  the 
world,  that  this  crime  might  come  to  an  end. 
There  are  hundreds  of  men  who  would  rather 
have  their  eyes  put  out  than  to  marry  and  bring 
all  this  suffering  and  calamity  on  the  innocent. 
We  are  ignorant  criminals,  but  criminals,  never- 
theless." 

Leaving  the  Doctor's  residence,  Maury  re- 
turned to  his  hotel.  Providing  himself  with 
•stationery,  and  with  a  small  vial,  which  he  pur- 
chased at  an  all-night  drug-store,  he  retired  to 
his  room  to  write  the  letter  he  had  promised 
Jessie  should  reach  her  the  next  day. 

That  letter  was  too  sacred  for  reproduction  in 
these  pages,  but  the  one  to  Jim  Miller  is  re- 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  131 

corded,  because  it  hurried  the  campaign  the 
latter  had  decided  on,  and  it  shows  the  tortures 
through  which  this  one  awakened  man  passed  as 
he  paid  the  price  he  himself  assessed  for  the  folly 
of  his  youth. 

"When  I  think  of  the  happiness  of  your  home 
before  I  entered  it,"  he  wrote,  "and  of  the  purity 
of  your  daughters  before  two  moral  lepers  led 
them  down  the  aisles  of  that  stately  church  just 
two  years  ago,  I  feel  like  Satan  must  have  felt 
when  he  saw  Adam  and  Eve  driven  from  the 
Garden  of  Eden.  Some  will  say  that  I  did  not 
know  I  was  doing  wrong  to  marry  Jessie,  and  I 
did  not ;  others  will  say  that  there  are  hundreds 
that  have  done  the  same  thing,  and  there  are; 
but  I  sinned  in  sowing  wild  oats,  and  I  must  bear 
the  penalty  for  all  the  consequences  of  my  sowing. 
Indeed  it  was  the  wind — oh,  what  a  fool  I  was ! 
— and  I  reaped  the  whirlwind.  You  may  blame 
me  for  what  I  am  doing,  and  you  may  call  it  a 
rash  act ;  but  I  can  not  look  into  little  Jim's 
unseeing  eyes,  nor  can  I  look  into  your  clear  ones. 
I  am  like  Gehazi :  the  leprosy  is  on  me  because  of 
my  sin.  I  am  like  Cain :  afraid  to  walk  among 
men  lest  they  see  the  mark  on  me  and  slay  me. 
I  am  like  Judas :  I  have  betrayed  innocent  blood. 
Therefore,  like  Judas,  I  will  end  it  all  tonight. 

"I  leave  all  my  property,  real  and  personal,  to 
Jessie,  and  I  am  glad  there  is  enough  to  supply 
her  needs  for  life,  and  to  give  Little  Jim  an  edu- 
cation. Also  I  have  set  aside  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars for  you  to  handle  as  trustee.  This  amount 
I  want  you  to  use  in  enlightening  the  public  on 


132  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

the  evils  of  social  sin  Use  it  in  any  way  you 
may  deem  best.  I  believe,  however,  that  there 
ought  to  be  lectures  delivered  to  the  boys  and 
girls  in  the  grammar  grades  and  high  school 
grades  of  all  our  public  schools  on  this  question. 
If  a  county  school  physician  was  appointed  in 
every  county,  whose  duty  it  would  be  to  visit 
each  school  in  the  county,  and  lecture  on  real 
physiology,  and  the  laws  of  reproduction  and 
sex  hygiene,  I  am  sure  that  the  next  generation 
would  be  saved  untold  misery,  and  that  more 
could  be  accomplished  than  has  been  done  for 
the  race  in  the  past  thousand  years.  I  almost 
wish  I  could  live  to  see  it. 

"But  enough.  Forgive  me,  dear  Mr.  Miller. 
Forgive  me.  I  remember  our  words  the  day  you 
give  your  consent  to  our  marriage:  'I  would  not 
give  her  to  a  scrub.'  But  you  did,  though  neither 
of  us  knew  it  at  the  time.  Tell  Mother  Miller  I 
am  so  sorry  I  have  been  a  party  to  her  grief  and 
sorrow.  Good-by.  Think  of  me  with  as  much 
charity  as  you  can." 

They  found  him  the  next  morning.  Rather, 
they  found  the  cold  form  lying  on  the  bed.  There 
was  a  note  to  the  management,  directing  that 
they  wire  Jim  Miller  at  Tamalpias,  and  that  he 
be  given  the  letter  addressed  to  him  when  he 
arrived.  There  was  a  letter  of  explanation  to 
the  coroner,  and  one  to  Maxwell  Wright.  He 
had  mailed  the  letter  to  Jessie  on  a  night  train. 

Only  the  angels  know  the  anguish  that  had 
filled  his  heart  as  he  lifted  the  deadly  vial  to  his 
lips.  There  was  no  outward  sign  of  struggle, 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  133 

nor  mark  of  violence.  He  looked  like  one  who 
had  gone  to  sleep  and  forgotten  to  wake  again. 

The  papers  published  sensational  accounts  of 
the  suicide  of  a  successful  young  banker,  whose 
financial  and  domestic  affairs  were  ideal,  and 
speculated  on  the  reason  for  the  rash  act.  The 
reading  public  made  surmises,  and  learned  doc- 
tors gave  opinion  that  it  was  dementia  of  some 
sort.  Only  Dr.  Roberts  and  the  dead  man's  rela- 
tives knew  the  real  cause,  and  they  kept  their 
own  counsel. 

Again,  Jessie  took  up  her  blind  child  and  her 
burden  of  life,  and  entered  the  train.  If  she  had 
suffered  on  that  other  trip,  she  experienced 
agony  now.  He  had  been  with  her  then,  and 
his  anguish  had  eased  hers.  Now,  he  was  gone, 
and  she  must  bear  it  all  alone.  She  had  received 
the  telegram  early  that  morning,  and  his  letter 
had  come  on  the  noon  train.  Forgetting  her 
wasted  strength,  she  had  made  hasty  preparation 
and  was  on  her  way  to  her  dead.  His  letter  had 
told  her  of  his  remorse,  and  of  the  thousand 
deaths  he  had  suffered  since  he  had  read  Max- 
well's letter  and  the  clipping.  Her  grief  was  the 
keener  that  she  had  not  been  able  to  help  him 
stand  the  terrible  shock.  How  dreadful  it  must 
have  been  to  face  the  thing  alone !  His  act  lost 
its  criminal  aspect  to  her;  she  could  see  nothing 
except  a  supreme  evidence  of  his  love  for  her 
and  their  afflicted  baby.  She  saw  him  as  a  real 
martyr,  and  her  love  for  him  was  crystalized  into 
a  sort  of  worship  that  she  would  carry  through 
life. 


134  JITtf    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Then,  she  thought  of  Allie,  and  of  Maxwell 
Wright.  What  would  the  effect  on  him  be?  In- 
stinctively, she  knew  that  he  would  do  nothing 
rash;  but  what  would  he  do?  Poor  Allie!  She 
had  borne  the  curse  and  paid  the  penalty.  But 
what  was  death  to  the  curse  she  was  bearing  in 
her  arms,  in  her  diseased  body,  and  in  her  break- 
ing heart,  as  she  hurried  to  the  ghastly  closing 
scene  in  the  drama  of  two  short  years ! 

Jim  Miller  was  himself  surprised  at  the  calm 
strength  he  found  within  him  under  the  ordeal 
of  this  terrible  climax  to  the  marriage  of  the 
twins.  His  reserve  force  and  tremendous  will- 
power stood  him  in  hand  in  this  dark  hour  that 
made  his  loved  ones  lean  so  heavily  on  him.  The 
incident  only  increased  his  determination  to  put 
himself  into  the  fight  for  the  race.  He  sought 
Dr.  Roberts  and  made  an  engagement  with  him 
for  the  near  future.  His  fight  must  be  an  intel- 
ligent one,  and  he  was  not  going  to  spare  time 
nor  money. 

The  funeral  was  impressive.  All  Tamalpias 
was  moved  with  sympathy.  They  did  not  know 
why  Maury  Tallman  had  killed  himself,  but  they 
loved  him,  and  their  expressions  of  sorrow  were 
sincere  and  eloquent. 

It  would  be  the  hardest  task  of  his  life,  but 
Jim  Miller  knew  that  he  must  tell  the  story  of 
both  tragedies  in  his  coming  campaign.  Only 
hearts  of  stone  would  be  able  to  resist  the  appeal 
he  would  be  able  to  make,  and  that  would  be 
his  compensation.  He  would  sacrifice  his  tim- 
idity, and  the  sacredness  of  his  sorrow,  on  the 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  135 

altar  where  his  daughter  had  laid  her  life,  his 
grandchild  had  given  his  eyes,  another  daughter 
her  health,  and  his  son-in-law  had  died  in  re- 
morse. He  tarried  until  the  grave  was  filled; 
then,  as  the  minister  pronounced  the  benediction, 
he  lifted  his  hand  toward  heaven  and  renewed 
the  vow  he  had  made  at  the  riverside.  Life,, 
talent,  time,  and  money  should  be  spent  to  emanci- 
pate the  race  from  this  plague  that  was  so  unneces- 
sary and  easily  preventable. 

His  wife  saw  the  uplifted  hand  and  the  moving 
lips,  and  knew  what  was  passing.  She  pressed  his 
left  hand  and  whispered: 

"You  have  come  to  the  kingdom  for  such  a 
time  as  this,  and  I  am  with  you,  Jim." 


136  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 


l'  ,     ,  CHAPTER  XIII. 

JOHN   PATTERSON. 

Almost  every  Southern  town  has  a  character 
like  John  Patterson — a  man  above  middle  age, 
whose  family  once  owned  a  large  estate  and 
many  negroes;  whose  father  reared  him  in  idle- 
ness and  supplied  his  purse  with  money,  as  well 
as  having  preached  to  him,  and  practised  in  his 
presence,  the  time-worn  doctrine  that  a  man  has 
•a  perfect  right  to  go  to  the  devil  if  he  wants  to. 
Such  a  character,  and  John  Patterson  was  no 
•exception,  always  believed  that  the  height  of 
'Southern  aristocracy  demands  that  he  shall  de- 
velop the  ablity  to  drink  raw  whiskey,  and  more 
of  it  than  any  other  man  in  the  community  can 
drink,  and  still  walk  straight.  He  also  learns  to 
curse  like  a  slave-driver,  whether  there  is  oc- 
casion for  profanity  or  not,  and  he  assumes  a 
superior  air  in  keeping  with  the  number  of  slaves 
his  family  is  reputed  to  have  owned  "before  the 
•wah."  Go  into  his  house  and  you  will  find  old- 
fashioned  furniture  with  faded  upholstery,  and 
a  musty  smell  that  fully  warrants  the  claim  that 
they  are  "among  the  oldest  families  of  the  State." 
This  overbearing  manner  is  only  equaled  by  the 
presumption  of  the  degenerate  scion  of  a  de- 
cadent aristocracy  that  makes  him  almost  im- 
pudent in  his  intrusion  on  the  affairs  of  others. 
He  seems  to  think  that  the  world  owes  him  def- 
erence and  a  good  living  because  of  his  ante- 
cedents. He  resents  the  changes  that  have  been 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  137 

wrought  by  reformers  who  have  taken  away  his 
"personal  liberty"  by  agitating  the  liquor  ques- 
tion until  the  saloon  has  been  voted  out  of  the 
community,  and  he  spends  his  time  in  cursing  the 
reformers  and  dodging  the  officers  on  his  way 
to  the  "blind  tigers,"  where  he  can  slake  his 
thirst  with  an  adulterated  beverage  branded 
"whiskey." 

Generally,  the  family  of  such  a  character  is 
proud  and  poor.  They  live  on  less  than  half 
the  food  they  really  need,  and  they  spend  money 
for  clothes  that  ought  to  be  spent  for  bread. 
They  can  do  without  food,  but  appearance  can 
not  be  maintained  without  clothes.  There  is  a 
negro  family  living  in  the  "quarters"  that  par- 
takes of  this  family  pride  far  enough  to  look 
after  their  "white  floks,"  and  to  do  the  laundry 
work.  For  this  service,  they  get  the  cast-off 
clothing,  free  rent,  and  the  opportunity  to  carry 
"scraps"  from  the  kitchen.  An  old  family  horse, 
and  a  dilapidated  surrey,  a  mangy  dog,  and  an 
unkempt  lawn,  overgrown  with  rosebushes  and 
cedars,  complete  the  picture. 

Every  merchant  in  town  has  a  bill  that  he 
would  take  five  cents  on  the  dollar  for;  but  he 
continues  to  let  the  family  have  a  few  items  oc- 
casionally, for  several  reasons.  One  of  these  is 
that  the  degenerate  scion  knows  things  that  are 
better  kept  secret ;  another,  that  the  merchant 
sometimes  wants  a  favor  that  no  one  else  can 
render,  and  still  another  that  social  position  is 
at  stake,  and  an  ambitious  wife  importunes  her 


138  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

husband  to  accommodate  the  proud  family  for 
her  sake. 

John  Patterson  and  his  wife  possessed  all  these 
characterstics.  He  was  tall  and  angular,  with 
iron-gray  hair,  which  was  never  combed;  mus- 
tache and  goatee  to  match;  white  shirt,  ironed 
by  the  negro  servant,  with  collar  attached ;  black 
string  tie,  worn  in  a  double  bow ;  striped  trousers 
that  bagged  at  the  knees ;  heavy  shoes  that  were 
polished  once  a  week  at  the  barber-shop ;  black 
vest  with  only  the  bottom  button  in  use,  and  a 
large  white  hat.  His  shaggy  brows  covered  pale- 
gray  eyes  that  peeped  out  at  you  when  curious, 
swam,  downcast,  in  tears  when  asking  a  favor, 
and  blared,  wide  open,  when  defiant.  And  they 
were  defiant  when  he  was  so  thoroughly  intoxi- 
cated that  he  began  to  give  the  history  of  his 
family,  and  tell  of  the  negroes  he  would  still 
own  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  accursed  "Yan- 
kees" who  were  only  jealous  because  they  did 
not  have  the  climate  and  employment  that  would 
enable  them  to  keep  negroes. 

He  always  celebrated  events  of  more  than 
passing  interest  by  getting  drunk,  when  he  could 
get  the  whiskey,  and  he  generally  got  it  some 
way.  He  succeeded  in  finding  enough  of  it  on 
the  occasion  of  Maury  Tallman's  funeral  to  keep 
up  his  reputation  for  celebrating.  His  need  must 
have  been  great,  for  it  was  the  first  time  he  had 
ever  pawned  or  sold  anything  that  became  a 
matter  of  public  knowledge ;  but,  this  time,  the 
owner  of  a  suspicious  livery  stable  went  to  Pat- 
terson's barn  and  led  away  the  old  brown  mare  that 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  139 

had  pulled  the  family  surrey  ever  since  John  had 
returned  to  Tamalpias  with  his  wife  and  the  boy, 
Drury. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  quantity,  and  it  may  have 
been  partially  due  to  the  quality,  that  the  cele- 
bration took  on  the  proportions  of  a  protracted 
spree.  At  any  rate,  more  than  a  week  went  by, 
and  he  was  still  drinking  and  delivering  lectures 
to  any  one  who  would  listen,  about  the  "good  old 
times  when  everybody  had  a  decanter  on  his 
mantel,  and  a  gentleman  could  have  a  little  fun 
without  being  considerd  a  fool."  His  wife  was 
distressed  about  him,  and  had  Mose,  the  negro 
man  who  lived  in  the  cabin,  watch  him  and  keep 
him  out  of  trouble. 

'  Drury  came  home  from  school  when  the  spree 
was  almost  two  weeks  old,  and,  when  he  tried 
to  control  his  father,  the  old  man  railed  on  him, 
and  called  him  a  "brat,"  and  told  him  to  keep  his 
place.  It  was  the  first  time  Drury  had  ever  been 
talked  to  like  that,  and  he  was  deeply  wounded. 
He  appealed  to  his  mother,  and  she  cried  and 
shook  her  head. 

"It  is  the  worst  he  has  ever  been,"  she  said. 
"I  have  lived  with  him  more  than  twenty  years, 
but  he  would  always  listen  to  me  before ;  now, 
he  curses  me,  and  charges  me  with  his  ruin.  I 
am  afraid  his  mind  is  unbalanced." 

"I  know  it  is,  Mother.  His  brain  is  burned 
out  by  alcohol,  and  he  will  get  worse.  I  am 
going  to  stay  with  you  as  long  as  he  lives. 
Where  did  he  get  so  much  liquor?" 

"Jim  Davis  sold  it  to  him  for  the  little  mare." 


140  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"I  wish  we  could  prove  that;  it  would  send 
him  to  prison." 

John  Patterson  became  more  unruly,  and  the 
city  marshall  told  Drury  he  would  have  to  be  kept 
off  the  streets.  That  was  hard  to  do;  but  Mose 
and  Drury  got  him  home,  and  locked  him  in  a 
room.  Finding  himself  a  prisoner,  he  became 
furious,  and  smashed  the  furniture  and  broke 
the  windows.  They  dared  not  get  within  his 
reach,  for  there  was  murder  in  his  eye.  At  last, 
they  sent  for  Dr.  McConnell,  and  he  saw  his 
patient  was  showing  symptoms  of  delirium 
tremens  again.  He  began  a  treatment ;  but,  that 
night,  John  Patterson  was  a  screaming,  kicking, 
fighting  maniac.  It  took  four  men  to  hold  him  in 
his  bed.  Although  Drury  had  seen  men  brought 
to  the  medical  school  with  "snakes,"  nothing  like 
this  had  come  under  his  observation.  Could  it 
be  possible  that  this  writhing,  frothing,  demented 
being  was  his  father!  Was  this  demon  in  his 
veins,  lying  dormant,  only  awaiting  a  propitious 
time  for  a  sudden  attack  on  his  manhood?  His 
brain  reeled  with  the  crushing  knowledge  that 
the  children  of  drunkards  are  handicapped  for 
life  in  the  estimation  of  the  world,  and  in  the 
fact  that  they  inherit  the  depraved  appetites  and 
passions  of  their  ancestors.  He  had  just  begun 
to  study  heredity,  and  he  resolved,  as  he  looked 
at  his  maniacal  father,  possessed  with  a  thou- 
sand demons,  that  he  would  go  to  the  bottom  of 
this  grave  question.  No  matter  where  it  led  him. 
nor  what  the  consequences  were,  he  must  know 
the  truth.  If  there  was  any  chance  that  he  would 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  141 

in  any  way  blight  the  happiness  of  the  girl  he 
loved  through  his  inheritance  from  this  man,  he 
would  never  marry  her.  His  heart  chilled  at  the 
thought,  and  his  face  bespoke  the  agony  that 
even  the  suggestion  caused  him. 

Jim  Miller  went  to  see  John  Patterson  for  a 
double  purpose :  to  offer  any  assistance  he  might 
be  able  to  render,  and  to  study  the  case  closely. 
His  investigations  had  already  shown  him  that 
the  campaign  he  was  planning  had  to  do  with 
the  question  of  this  dissipation  as  well  as  the 
other,  and  he  wanted  to  see  for  himself  the  final 
effects  of  such  a  life  as  John  Patterson  had  lived. 
When  he  entered  the  room,  the  poor  man  was 
struggling  with  his  attendants,  and  yelling: 

"Let  me  go!  He'll  get  me.  Don't  you  see 
him  there  behind  that  tree?  Oh!  He  shot  me. 
Let  me  go,  let  me  go.  Look,  he  has  divided 
himself  into  ten  devils,  and  they  are  all  grinning 
at  me.  Oh,  quit  licking  out  that  fiery  tongue  at 
me !" 

Thus  he  raved  for  three  hours.  When  the 
Doctor  tried  to  give  him  medicine  with  a  spoon, 
he  bit  the  spoon  and  twisted  the  handle  almost 
in  two.  He  scratched  himself  and  tore  his  cloth- 
ing into  shreds.  Once,  he  caught  sight  of  Drury, 
and  shouted  at  him : 

"Get  out  of  here,  you  fool !  Don't  stand  there 
looking  at  me  with  those  accusing  eyes.  You 
look  exactly  like  he  did  the  night  of  the  fire.  I  see 
you  trying  to  choke  me.  Put  him  out;  he  wants 
to  kill  me.  Put  him  out,  I  say." 

The   fact    that    his    father   was    suffering   the 


142  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

tortures  of  mental  delusion  did  not  take  all  the 
sting  out  of  the  words  for  Drury.  There  must 
be  something  in  the  subconscious  mind  of  the 
man  to  make  him  speak  like  this  at  sight  of  the 
young  man.  His  wonder  increased  as  Mrs.  Pat- 
terson, overhearing  the  words  of  the  madman, 
rushed  into  the  room  and  put  her  arms  around 
him  as  if  to  shield  him  from  the  fury  of  her 
husband. 

"John,"  she  cried,  "what  are  you  saying! 
Drury,  my  child,  come  with  me.  He  is  wild,  and 
does  not  know  what  he  is  saying,"  and  she  led 
him  from  the  room. 

"It  is  only  a  wild  fancy  of  his  disordered  brain. 
Don't  let  it  disturb  you,  Son.  Twice,  while  you 
have  been  away,  he  has  had  these  attacks;  but 
he  is  much  worse  this  time  than  ever  before. 
You  do  not  know  what  I  have  suffered  these  recent 
years,  since  he  began  to  drink  more  than  he 
could  walk  erect  with.  His  early  drinking  made 
him  act  dignified,  and  he  was  never  more  kind 
than  when  in  his  cups.  But  during  the  last  five 
years,  he  has  grown  rougher  and  more  incon- 
siderate." 

"When  did  he  begin  drinking,  Mother?" 

"Before  I  met  him.  He  says  he  drank  from 
his  earliest  recollection,  and  he  used  to  try  to 
feed  you  'toddy'  with  a  spoon ;  but  you  never  did 
like  it." 

"I  have  been  much  worried  for  fear  I  would 
some  day  develop  the  appetite  for  drink,  by  in- 
heritance from  him." 

"No,  no,  my  boy,  you  need  never  fear  that. 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  143 

You  are  in  no  more  danger  in  that  way  than  I 
am." 

"But,  Mother,  science  teaches  that  the  child 
does  inherit  such  things  from  the  parent." 

"You  will  never  have  trouble  with  drink  on 
his  account ;  if  you  form  the  habit,  it  will  be  your 
own  fault.  I  know  what  I  am  saying.  Let 
whiskey  alone,  and  it  will  let  you  alone." 

Drury  saw  she  was  under  restraint  and  won- 
dered. He  had  noticed  this  demeanor  in  his 
mother  every  time  the  subject  of  his  looks  or  his 
ways  was  discussed.  He  would  have  pressed  the 
matter;  but  she  changed  the  subject,  and  hfe  was 
soon  called  into  the  sick-room  again. 

Jim  Miller  heard  John  Patterson  rave  at  the 
boy,  and  he,  too,  wondered  what  he  could  mean. 
The  words  were  full  of  mystery  to  him,  and  to 
Dr.  McConnell.  There  had  been  no  fire  at 
Tamalpias  that  he  could  be  referring  to,  yet  Jim 
was  sure  there  was  some  connection  between  the 
raving  of  the  madman  and  a  real  occurence. 
This  opinion  was  strengthened  when  Drury  came 
into  the  room  again,  and  was  soon  recognized 
by  the  sufferer.  This  time,  however,  the  old 
man  cowered,  and  tried  to  pull  the  cover  over 
his  head.  He  moaned  piteously,  and  begged  for 
mercy. 

"Don't  hurt  me ;  I  had  to  do  it.  All  the  devils 
were  pulling  at  me,  and  one  stuck  out  his  tongue 
at  me  and  cursed  me.  He  made  me  do  it.  Go 
away,  go  away,  and  let  me  get  on  the  boat. 
There  he  is!  He's  going  to  choke  me!  There 


144  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

they  all  come.  Fire!  Fire!"  And  it  took  all 
their  strength  to  hold  him  in  the  bed. 

After  that,  he  settled  down  and  spoke  no  more. 
His  struggles  were  over,  and  only  the  twitching 
of  the  muscles  indicated  the  pain  that  racked  his 
body.  Darkness  filled  the  room,  but  a  greater 
gloom  filled  the  hearts  of  mother  and  son  as  they 
were  told  the  end  had  come.  It  was  relief  to 
both ;  nevertheless,  their  sorrow  was  great. 

The  same  spirit  that  gave  the  drunkard  recog- 
nition during  life  caused  the  citizenship  to  give 
him  a  funeral  that  would  have  shown  honor  to 
a  more  worthy  person.  The  floral  offerings  were 
numerous,  expensive,  and  beautiful.  The  casket 
was  the  best  to  be  had,  and  the  two  lodges  to 
which  the  deceased  had  belonged,  turned  out  in 
full  regalia.  With  true  Southern  charity,  they 
buried  John  Patterson's  imperfections,  and  his 
debts,  with  him.  His  virtues  were  extolled,  and 
his  vices  were  too  well  known  to  need  mention- 
ing. The  few  old  comrades  that  were  there  re- 
solved to  quit  drinking,  and  went  straight  back  to 
town  and  hunted  up  some  liquor  to  cheer  them 
up  a  little. 

The  widow  and  the  son  found  the  Millers  real 
friends  in  this  dark  hour.  They  well  knew  that 
those  who  were  conspicuous  at  the  funeral  would 
be  the  last  to  help  them  in  the  coming  days,  and 
it  warmed  their  hearts  to  have  these  good  people 
show  genuine  sympathy  that  would  endure  when 
the  parade  was  over.  Mr.  Harris  and  his  family 
said  a  kind  word  to  two;  but  Mrs.  Patterson 
knew  it  would  be  only  a  few  days  until  she  would 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  145 

be  forced  to  give  up  her  home  on  account  of  the 
mortgage  her  husband  had  given  Mr.  Harris. 

Thus  John  Patterson  died:  bankrupt,  ruined, 
demented,  home  gone,  family  disgraced,  friends 
alienated,  soul  lost — all  for  a  mess  of  pottage! 


146  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

AN   OLD  CLIPPING. 

Several  months  had  passed  by,  and  the  events 
recorded  in  the  last  two  chapters  were  history 
that  had  been  discussed  in  Tamalpias  until  there 
-was  nothing  more  to  be  said.  Jessie  Tallman 
had  returned  from  Sharman,  and  had  succeeded 
in  purchasing  the  cottage  Maury  had  built  to 
take  his  bride  to.  Little  Jim  was  walking  and 
talking,  and  was  the  idol  of  all  the  relatives.  He 
was  really  a  bright  child,  and  Jessie  was  already 
in  correspondence  with  a  governess  who  had 
been  recommended  by  the  superintendent  of  the 
State  school  for  the  blind. 

Jim  Miller  had  been  busy  gathering  data  for 
ihis  campaign,  which  was  to  begin  in  the  early 
;summer.  He  had  become  more  convinced  than 
>ever  of  the  righteousness  and  correctness  of  the 
cause  he  had  resolved  to  champion.  His  wife, 
too,  had  entered  into  the  matter  with  him,  and 
she  was  planning  to  make  tours  over  the  State 
and  speak  to  women  under  the  auspices  of  the 
White  Ribboners.  Jack  had  finished  his  high 
school  course  and  was  away  at  college.  Dixie 
would  graduate  at  Barlow  within  two  months ; 
then,  she  was  going  to  keep  house  while  her 
mother  was  away.  Jessie  would  stay  with  her, 
and  the  arrangement  was  considered  ideal. 

Drury  Patterson  had  taken  his  mother  with 
him  when  he  returned  to  school.  They  were  do- 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  147 

ing  light  housekeeping,  and  finding  it  a  happy 
solution  of  their  trouble.  The  old  home  had  been 
sold  to  satisfy  the  mortgage,  and  Mr.  Harris  had 
purchased  it  and  deeded  it  to  Marvin,  who  rejoiced 
that  he  had  superseded  Drury  in  one  thing  at 
any  rate. 

Jim  Miller  employed  a  foreman  for  his  ranch, 
who  could  take  entire  charge  of  all  his  affairs 
in  that  line,  and  announced  in  the  local  papers 
that  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  State  senate.  His 
opponent  was  a  man  that  had  been  brought  up 
in  politics;  he  was  recognized  as  the  political 
boss  of  that  district,  and  would  have  the  "ring" 
at  his  beck  and  call.  Bill  Colton  was  also  an  un- 
scrupulous trickster;  he  could  win  the  election 
if  his  opponent  was  an  ordinary  reformer ;  for 
he  could  talk  reforms  as  well  as  anybody.  It 
was  one  thing  to  talk  reforms,  and  another  to 
enact  them  into  laws. 

Thus  things  stood  when  Dixie  Miller  came 
home  with  her  diploma  from  Barlow  College. 
Trouble,  experience,  and  hard  work  had  ripened 
her,  but  had  not  robbed  her  of  the  freshness  and 
beauty  of  her  girlhood.  Marvin  Harris  had  been 
paying  court  to  Thelma  Dawson  for  nearly  two 
years ;  but  he  could  not  resist  the  winsome 
beauty  who  had  been  his  playmate  and  little 
sweetheart.  He  had  learned  many  things  about 
courting  a  girl  since  his  beginning  with  Dixie, 
three  years  before,  and  he  was  sure  he  could 
win  her  love,  now  that  Drury  was  so  far  away. 

He  had  settled  down  to  business,  and  every- 
body was  praising  him  for  his  unquestionable 


148  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

ability.  He  had  remodeled  the  Patterson  place, 
and  it  was  now  the  prettiest  residence  in  the 
whole  town.  The  superintendent  of  the  city 
schools  had  rented  it,  and  Dixie  had  to  admit 
that  it  was  a  wonderful  example  of  civic  im- 
provement. Also,  she  saw  that  the  improve- 
ment in  the  owner  was  greater  than  in  his  prop- 
erty. He  was  handsome  and  refined,  and  he 
acted  like  a  gentleman.  She  had  always  admired 
Mr.  Harris,  and  Marvin  was  growing  more  like 
his  father  every  day. 

Dixie  was  unpacking  her  trunks  and  destroy- 
ing the  letters  and  papers  that  had  accumulated 
during  her  college  course.  There  were  letters 
from  Allie,  and  some  from  other  relatives  and 
friends  that  she  could  not  bring  herself  to  des- 
troy. Drury's  letters  were  neatly  arranged  in  a 
box  and  chronologically  filed;  she  counted  them 
among  her  dearest  possessions,  and  they  were 
placed  back  in  the  tray  of  a  trunk.  She  had  fin- 
ished feeding  the  flames  on  the  hearth,  and 
was  rising  from  her  position  on  the  floor,  when 
she  saw  a  scrap  of  paper  that  had  escaped  her. 
She  unfolded  it  and  was  surprised  to  discover 
that  it  was  the  article  she  had  clipped  from  a 
magazine  two  years  before.  It  was  the  one  she 
had  read  on  the  train,  and  dealt  with  the  subject 
of  alcoholism.  Almost  involuntarily,  she  sat 
down  and  re-read  it.  If  it  had  shocked  her  be- 
fore, it  scared  her  now ;  for  she  saw  a  new  mean- 
ing in  it  that  had  not  dawned  on  her  at  the 
first  reading.  She  had  thought  only  of  the  effect 
of  inheritance  on  Drury :  now,  she  saw  the  fear- 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  149 

ful  truth  that  two  more  generations  were  at 
stake.  Like  a  phantom,  the  words  of  the  Mosaic 
Law  arose  before  her.  "Thy  God  is  a  jealous 
God,  visiting  the  iniquities  of  the  fathers  upon 
the  children  unto  the  third  and  fourth  genera- 
tion of  them  that  hate  Me."  Was  it  possible 
that  the  immediate  generation  might  escape  the 
penalty,  only  to  be  the  means  of  passing  the 
curse  on  to  the  next?  Her  father  would  know,  and 
she  hurried  down-stairs  to  ask  him  about  it. 

"Daddy,  I  am  coming  back  to  you  with  this 
old  question  of  heredity.  Please  read  this  treatise 
and  then  tell  me  what  I  want  to  know." 

He  read  it  in  the  light  of  the  investigations 
he  had  been  making  for  more  than  a  year,  and 
his  heart  went  out  to  his  child.  He  knew  what 
her  question  would  be,  and  he  was  pained  at 
the  answer  he  must  give. 

"Tell  me,  Daddy,  is  it  possible  that  one  gen- 
eration may  escape  this  appetite,  and  then  it 
develop  in  the  next?" 

"My  child,  I  see  what  you  are  thinking,  and 
I  must  tell  you  the  truth :  my  reading  leads  me 
to  believe  that  the  predispositions,  passions,  and 
appetites  are  more  likely  to  show  up  in  alternate 
generations  than  in  the  immediate.  I  may  be 
wrong  about  this,  but  I  shall  write  to  Dr.  Chad- 
wick  L.  Grady,  the  great  alienist,  and  ask  him 
about  it.  Meantime,  I  hope  you  will  not  worry 
over  this  question." 

"I  can  not  help  worrying.  If  there  is  a  pos- 
sibility that  Mr.  Patterson's  appetite  may  be  im- 
parted to  his  grandchild  through  his  son,  can  you 


150  JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS 

not  see  what  it  means  to  me?  Oh,  this  cruel 
world !  And  to  think  that  men  will  claim  they 
have  a  right  to  go  on  in  their  sin,  when  they 
are  entailing  such  things  on  unborn  generations. 
What  punishment!  And  the  innocent  have  to 
suffer  for  the  crimes  of  the  guilty !" 

"Yes,  Dixie,  it  is  terrible.  No  one  knows  how 
terrible,  better  than  I.  Think  how  it  has  come  to 
my  family ;  and  this  blow  to  you,  if  I  am  correct 
in  my  judgment,  is  also  a  blow  to  me.  I  love  the 
boy,  and  really  wanted  him  to  marry  you.  We 
must  not  forget  him,  either.  If  this  thing  is 
true,  it  makes  him  an  Ishmaelite ;  he  is  too  high 
principled  ever  to  marry  if  he  knows  this  curse  is 
in  his  veins." 

"You  are  right,  Father.  He  said  almost  as 
much  to  me  when  his  father  died.  How  can  we 
ever  stand  it !" 

"Don't  give  up,  daughter,  until  I  hear  from  Dr. 
Grady.  I  shall  put  the  whole  case  before  him, 
and  we  will  abide  by  his  decision,  will  we  not?" 

That  short  question  put  her  love  in  the  balance 
against  her  intellect.  Love  cried  out  for  its  ob- 
ject in  spite  of  opinions,  science,  and  conse- 
quences. More  rebellion  than  she  had  ever  sus- 
pected her  heart  held,  surged  within  her  being. 
She  threw  herself  on  a  couch  and  sobbed.  In- 
tellect prompted  her  to  yield  natural  selection  to 
wisdom  and  scientific  fact;  but  love  was  slow 
to  go  to  the  altar  of  sacrifice. 

Jim  took  her  hand  and  knelt  by  her  side.  His 
grief  was  as  great  as  hers,  and  he  felt  some  of 
the  rebellion  that  was  making  the  battle  so  hard 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  151 

for  her.  Nevertheless,  he  knew  wisdom  would 
win,  and  he  dealt  very  gently  with  this  third 
daughter  of  his  who  was  suffering  on  account  of 
the  sins  of  others.  He  did  not  underestimate 
the  suffering,  nor  discount  its  reality. 

"Dixie,  darling,  yours  is  a  peculiar  sorrow.  Your 
lover  is  personally  worthy,  and  there  is  no  reason 
for  your  love,  or  his,  to  be  conquered.  By  the  de- 
crees of  an  All-wise  Creator,  you  can  not  posses 
each  other.  And  it  is  the  best  thing  for  the  race 
that  these  evils  be  curtailed  rather  than  per- 
petuated through  offspring.  Be  brave  my  girl. 
That  is  right ;  I  knew  you  would  be  sensible." 

"Oh,  it  is  so  hard  to  do!  But  I  will  abide  by 
the  decision  of  Dr.  Grady.  Write  to  him  at  once, 
and  let  me  know,  as  quickly  as  you  can,  what  he 
says." 

"You  are  a  noble  girl,  Dixie,  and  I  believe  that 
God  will  reward  you  in  some  way  for  this  great 
sacrifice." 

It  was  ten  days  before  the  answer  came  from 
Dr.  Grady.  Jim  was  in  his  office,  down-town, 
when  he  opened  and  read  the  letter. 

"In  compliance  with  your  request,"  the  Doctor 
wrote,  "I  beg  to  reply  that  the  general  doctrine 
of  hereditary  influence  has  been  recognized  since 
the  days  of  mythology.  The  nervous  condition 
of  the  parents  endows  the  future  child  with  their 
general  characteristics  and  predispositions.  The 
child  of  a  drunkard  starts  out  under  unfavorable 
conditions,  and  in  all  its  after  life  can  not  entire- 
ly escape  the  consequences,  physical  and  mental, 


152  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

that  have  been  entailed  on  it  by  the  condition  of 
its  parent. 

"Much  attention  and  thought  should  be  given 
this  great  question.  At  the  present  time,  insane 
people,  drunkards,  epileptics,  cancerous,  scrofu- 
lous, and  all  kinds  of  diseased  people  propagate 
and  perpetuate  their  imperfections  without  a 
word  being  said  against  it. 

"As  to  one  generation  escaping  the  appetite  for 
stimulants,  and  the  next  generation  developing  it, 
allow  me  to  say  that  such  cases  are  on  record.  A 
son  may  inherit  enough  will-power  from  his 
mother,  and  have  such  effective  training,  that  he 
will  overcome  the  latent  desire  for  drugs  or  in- 
toxicants, but  the  child  of  such  a  son  seems  to 
have  intensified  thirst,  and  sooner  or  later  yields 
to  the  call  of  his  ancestry.  I  have  no  record  of 
a  child  entirely  void  of  the  appetite  where  the 
father  was  a  drinker  before  the  birth  of  the  child, 
as  in  the  case  you  cite,  but  I  am  sure  such  a  case 
is  possible.  The  sure  course  is  for  your  daughter 
not  to  marry  the  young  man  in  question." 

This  corroboration  of  his  judgment  did  not 
stun  the  father  as  much  as  did  the  fact  that  he 
must  tell  his  child  that  science  had  decreed  that 
she  must  never  marry  the  man  she  loved  so  well. 
It  would  also  become  his  duty  to  break  the  news 
to  Drury.  He  dreaded  that  even  more  than 
telling  Dixie,  because  she  was  somewhat  pre- 
pared for  the  cruel  news. 

When  he  went  home  that  afternoon,  he  led 
Dixie  into  the  library  and  handed  her  the  letter 
to  read.  He  expected  another  outburst  of  grief, 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  153 

but  she  did  not  cry  out.  Her  sobs  were  deep; 
however,  the  storm  had  passed,  and  she  accepted 
the  decision  as  a  foregone  conclusion. 

"You  will  write  to  Drury?"  she  asked,  as  she 
handed  the  letter  back  to  him. 

"Yes." 

"Write  at  once,  and  I  shall  write  as  soon  as 
he  has  had  time  to  get  your  letter." 

She  started  from  the  room,  but  came  back  and 
stood  by  his  chair. 

"Daddy,"  she  said,  stroking  his  hair,  "I  knew 
what  news  this  letter  would  bring,  and  1  have 
been  planning  my  future.  I  shall  enter  a  sana- 
torium and  become  a  trained  nurse.  I  can  not 
spend  my  life  in  luxury  and  idleness,  and  I  can 
be  of  so  much  service  to  the  world  as  a  nurse." 

"O  child,  I  am  afraid  I  can  never  consent  to 
that.  Think  it  over,  and  let  me  study  about  it 
a  while.  Am  I  to  lose  my  last  daughter  from 
my  home?  Give  me  time  to  study  it  all  out  be- 
fore you  speak  of  this  to  any  one  else." 

"I  will,  but  my  own  mind  is  made  up.  I  know 
you  will  see  it  as  I  do.  My  life  must  be  too  busy 
for  recollection." 

Then,  she  left  him  and  went  to  her  room. 

Drury  was  in  New  Orleans  when  he  received 
Jim  Miller's  letter  that  condemned  him  to  a 
bachelor's  life.  It  was  the  kindest  letter  he  had 
ever  received,  and  the  writer  reassured  him  of  his 
friendship  and  confidence.  He  invited  him  to 
come  to  his  home  and  see  Dixie  whenever  he 
wished ;  but  he  made  it  plain  that,  in  the  light  of 
the  very  science  Drury  was  studying,  he  could 


154  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

never  marry  Dixie.  The  blow  was  heavy ;  it  was 
as  if  he  stood  again  looking  at  his  father  dying 
under  the  influence  of  torturing  demons.  Not 
only  the  loss  of  the  woman  he  hoped  to  marry, 
but  the  stigma  it  cast  on  him  made  him  groan 
under  the  cross  that  was  laid  on  his  young 
shoulders.  The  walls  and  the  furniture  about 
him  seemed  to  cry  out: 

"You  are  the  child  of  a  drunkard.  There's 
poison  in  your  veins.  You  are  unfit  to  be  a  hus- 
band and  father.  You  are  an  Ishmaelite." 

He  would  not  tell  his  mother.  She  had  recov- 
ered from  the  shock  of  her  husband's  death,  and 
her  health  was  much  improved;  however,  he 
could  not  bring  himself  to  tell  her  he  had  been 
condemned  because  he  was  John  Patterson's 
child.  She  must  be  spared  the  pain  that  knowl- 
edge would  bring  her. 

The  next  day,  he  received  a  letter  from  Dixie, 
and  it  was  balm  to  his  wounded  soul.  She  re- 
vealed her  suffering,  and  told  him  frankly  of  her 
abiding  love.  Then,  she  told  him  of  her  purpose 
to  become  a  trained  nurse,  and  urged  him  to  go  to 
the  top  in  his  profession.  If  they  could  not  marry, 
they  could  at  least  give  their  lives  to  the  relief 
of  human  misery.  They  might  even  work  to- 
gether in  the  same  hospital,  some  day.  She  asked 
him  to  come  to  see  her  shortly,  and  they  would  talk 
it  over  together. 

Of  course,  Marvin  Harris  did  not  go  to  Dr. 
McConnell's  office  with  the  intention  of  eaves- 
dropping; it  is  also  true  that  he  did  not  leave 
when  he  began  to  overhear  the  conversation  be- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  155 

tween  Jim  Miller  and  the  Doctor.  They  were  in 
the  Doctor's  private  room  and  Marvin  was  in  the 
waiting-room ;  but  the  transom  was  open  and  he 
could  hear  every  word.  Jim  was  telling  the  old 
Doctor  of  the  letter  he  had  received  from  Dr. 
Grady,  and  of  the  decision  he  and  Dixie  had  come 
to  in  regard  to  Drury  Patterson.  The  listener's 
face  grew  red;  then,  a  gratified  smile  wreathed 
his  face.  He  was  becalmed,  however,  when  he 
heard  Mr.  Miller  tell  the  physician  that  Dixie  had 
decided  to  enter  a  hospital  for  training  as  a  nurse, 
and  he  had  given  his  consent. 

Marvin  slipped  out  of  the  room  and  down  to 
the  street.  This  was  the  best  news  he  had  ever 
heard.  Even  if  she  went  away  for  training,  she 
would  yet  be  his  wife.  Although  he  was  en- 
gaged to  Thelma  Dawson,  that  was  a  small  mat- 
ter. He  laughed  as  he  thought  of  honest,  clean, 
temperate  Drury  Patterson  being  turned  down 
because  he  was  the  child  of  a  drunkard.  He,  him- 
self, had  drunk  more  whiskey  than  Drury  ever 
had,  and  he  had  "gone  the  gaits,"  but  he  was 
the  child  of  a  gentleman.  It  was  just  as  he  had 
told  her,  and  it  was  all  working  out  better  than 
he  had  dared  to  hope.  However,  he  must  be  diplo- 
matic in  his  endeavor  to  win  her.  She  was  as 
strong  in  character  as  she  was  beautiful  in  per- 
son, and  he  had  blundered  before. 

There  was  to  be  a  social  event  of  first  import- 
ance next  week,  and  he  wrote  her  that  afternoon, 
asking  the  pleasure  of  her  company.  She  did  not 
want  to  attend  the  function;  but  her  father's 
cause  demanded  the  presence  of  the  family,  and 


156  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

she  did  not  see  any  reason  why  she  should  not 
accept  the  company  of  such  a  gentleman  as  Mar- 
vin was  proving  himself  to  be;  so  his  delight 
was  supreme  when  he  read  her  note  of  formal 
acceptance. 

It  was  her  first  public  appearance,  and  she 
aroused  the  envy  of  the  women  and  the  admira- 
tion of  the  men  to  the  highest  pitch.  Her  reti- 
cent manner  only  added  to  her  charms,  and  the 
dignity  lent  her  by  her  great  purpose  in  life  gave 
her  the  bearing  of  a  colonial  lady.  She  was  just 
gracious  enough  to  escape  criticism,  and  reserved 
enough  to  call  forth  the  deepest  respect.  Jim 
Miller  had  never  been  as  proud  of  one  of  his  chil- 
dren as  he  was  of  her  on  this  occasion,  and  her 
mother's  hopes  were  realized.  Jessie  told  her 
afterward  that  she  was  the  most  lovely  creature 
she  had  ever  seen. 

"But  that  is  not  what  I  want  to  be,  Jessie,  I 
want  to  be  the  most  useful  girl  this  town  has  ever 
given  to  the  world,"  and  she  meant  it  with  all 
her  heart. 

Marvin  was  disappointed  because  he  could  not 
bring  himself  to  be  sentimental  with  this  digni- 
fied girl.  When  he  tried  to  be  the  least  bit  gal- 
lant, she  was  as  cold  as  ice.  He  asked  permis- 
sion to  call  on  her  at  home ;  but  she  gave  him  a 
little  smile  and  said: 

"It  isn't  worth  while,  Marvin.  I  am  going  to 
leave  for  Chilton  within  a  few  weeks.  It  hasn't 
been  given  out  yet,  but  I  am  going  to  be  a  trained 
nurse." 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  157 

"I  thought  you  and  Drury  were  going  to 
marry?" 

"Your  thoughts  were  premature." 

There,  he  had  blundered  again ;  for  there  was 
that  in  her  simple  words  that  permanently  dis- 
missed the  subject. 

What  he  failed  to  say  to  her  in  speech  that 
night,  he  wrote  the  next  day.  His  declaration 
was  manly  and  simple.  He  begged  her  to  dis- 
miss the  idea  of  becoming  a  nurse,  and  to  give 
him  the  chance  to  win  her  love.  He  was  not  in 
a  hurry,  and,  if  she  would  go  away  for  training, 
he  begged  the  privilege  of  writing  her  occasion- 
ally. 

Her  answer  was  polite  and  definite.  She  told 
him  that  she  would  never  marry,  and  that  it 
would  be  a  waste  of  time,  and  altogether  futile 
for  him  to  write  her  with  the  hope  that  she 
would  alter  her  decision.  She  thanked  him  for 
the  honor  conferred,  and  wished  him  all  happi- 
ness and  success.  So  thoroughly  did  she  dispose 
of  the  matter  that  he  went  back  to  Miss  Dawson, 
and,  very  soon  thereafter,  their  engagement  was 
announced.  Dixie  could  not  repress  a  smile 
when  she  heard  the  news  the  day  before  she  left 
Tamalpias. 

Drury  came  that  afternoon.  Never  had  he  un- 
dertaken a  task  so  difficult.  He  felt  that  every- 
body in  Tamalpias  knew  of  his  plight,  and,  while 
he  was  sure  of  Jim  Miller's  confidence  and  sym- 
pathy, he  could  not  repress  the  feeling  that  he 
was  an  intruder,  an  outcast  among  men.  Mr.  Mil- 
ler soon  put  him  at  his  ease.  Dixie  was  the  same 


158  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

sweet  woman,  and  the  love-light  in  her  gray 
eyes  told  him  that,  to  her,  he  was  a  man  among 
his  fellows.  Mrs.  Miller  treated  him  as  a  son, 
and  Jessie  and  Jack  made  him  know  that  he  was 
at  home  and  honored  for  his  own  sake. 

His  work  had  won  for  him  appointment  as 
interne  at  the  very  hospital  where  Dixie  had  se- 
cured admittance  as  an  apprentice,  and  this 
modified  their  mutual  sorrow.  Drury  had  made 
his  own  investigations,  and  thoroughly  coincided 
with  the  decision  of  the  Millers  that  marriage 
was  out  of  the  question.  He  expressed  his  ap- 
preciation of  the  fact  that  Jim  Miller  had  kept 
the  matter  confidential,  except  that  he  had  told 
Dr.  McConnell. 

The  two  years  and  more  of  almost  entire  ab- 
sence from  Tamalpias  had  brought  Drury  to 
manhood,  and  a  type  of  manhood  that  pleased  his 
friends  very  much.  He  was  larger  than  they  had 
expected  him  to  be,  and  his  touch  with  great  teach- 
ers had  given  him  a  breadth  and  equilibrium  that 
made  one  feel  there  was  a  future  for  the  young  doc- 
tor; and  it  made  him  just  a  little  vain  to  have  old 
schoolmates  use  the  title  so  naturally  and  with  real 
deference.  He  even  dreamed  of  a  day  when  he 
could  come  back  and  prove  his  right  to  the  appella- 
tion by  taking  up  practice  among  them. 

Dr.  McConnell  renewed  his  urgent  invitation 
for  Drury  to  finish  his  time  as  interne  and  enter 
partnership  with  him,  and  clinched  the  invita- 
tion with  the  argument  that  a  couple  of  years 
of  general  practice  would  the  better  prepare  him 
for  the  successful  practice  of  surgery ;  and  Drury 


JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS  159 

was  so  convinced  that  he  entered  into  the  com- 
pact. 

The  visit  was  a  pleasant  one  for  Drury,  and 
would  have  been  without  regret  had  it  not  been 
for  a  dark  insinuation  from  Marvin  Harris  on 
the  day  of  his  departure.  It  was  not  what  he 
said,  but  the  implied  meaning  of  his  words  made 
Drury  know  that  his  enemy  either  knew,  or  sus- 
pected, the  real  status  of  matters  between  him 
and  Dixie.  He  was  glad  to  get  away  from  it  all, 
and  out  into  the  busy  world,  where  he  could 
settle  down  to  the  task  he  had  set  himself.  Dixie 
had  gone  on  two  days  before,  and  they  would  be 
inspiration  to  each  other. 


160  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   FIRST   CAMPAIGN. 

American  politics  has  degenerated  to  the  point 
where  men,  instead  of  issues,  are  the  controlling 
factors.  No  matter  what  the  issue  may  be  in 
local,  State,  or  National  elections,  the  side  or 
party  wins  that  has  the  greatest  leader.  A 
strong  personality,  ability  to  talk  loud  and  long, 
and  plenty  of  money  will  elect  any  man  or  carry 
any  cause  in  almost  any  section  of  the  country. 
The  result  is  that  clean,  self-respecting  men  keep 
out  of  the  game,  and  statesmanship  is  becoming 
a  rare  thing.  When  the  politicians  have  become 
so  corrupt  that  a  suffering  public  can  stand  the 
graft  and  slavery  no  longer,  a  reform  movement 
is  started,  there  is  scandal,  and  a  few  men  are 
punished  for  the  crimes  of  the  system.  The 
newspapers  print  sensational  stories  of  corrup- 
tion and  graft,  then  declare  that  there  has  been 
a  civic  reform  that  will  make  the  repetition  of 
the  same  thing  impossible.  The  people  swell 
with  pride  and  swagger  back  to  their  homes,  of- 
fices, and  business  only  to  relapse  into  their 
former  lethargy,  while  a  new  set  of  gangsters 
takes  the  place  of  the  old  and  finishes  out  the 
interrupted  game  of  personal  politics  for  the 
spoils  of  public  office  and  public  funds. 

Thus  it  is  an  endless  round  of  corruption  and 
graft,  exposure,  and  reform.  Nor  will  it  ever  be 
different  until  the  whole  system  is  purged,  and 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  161 

real  merit  and  ability  are  recognized  and  re- 
warded. 

Nowhere  is  all  this  truer  than  in  those  offices 
where  the  salaries  and  fees  are  inadequate  to 
support  an  honest  man  who  is  capable  of  the  ser- 
vice that  is  to  be  rendered.  Representatives  and 
State  senators  are  paid  such  small  salaries  that 
very  few  men  who  are  worthy  and  able  to  legis- 
late, can  be  induced  to  leave  their  own  affairs  to 
serve  the  public.  It  is  also  a  fact  that,  when  a 
few  such  men  are  patriotic  enough  tx>  sacrifice 
their  own  interests  in  order  to  try  to  pass  some 
needed  laws,  they  find  the  legislative  halls  crowd- 
ed with  men  who  have  "pull,"  and  the  affairs 
of  state  overshadowed  by  the  lowest  type  of  per- 
sonal politics. 

Jim  Miller  had  not  gone  far  in  his  campaign 
until  he  learned  all  this.  At  first,  it  made  the 
outlook  gloomy  for  him,  and  he  was  somewhat 
discouraged.  Bill  Colton  had  the  best  of  him 
in  experience,  ability  to  harangue  the  voters,  and 
the  fact  that  he  was  one  of  the  Governor's  hench- 
men. It  was  only  the  magnitude  of  his  cause 
that  made  him  set  his  jaws  and  determine  to 
fight  to  the  last  ditch  against  the  monster  that 
had  brought  death  and  ruin  to  his  family.  He 
soon  saw  that  his  hope  lay  in  enlightening  the 
masses  on  the  evils  he  sought  to  stamp  out..  To 
that  end,  he  had  printed  thousands  of  circulars 
and  booklets  giving  the  facts  he  had  learned  and 
the  evidence  he  had  gathered.  He  spoke  timidly 
at  first,  but  soon  found  his  liberty,  and,  by  the 
time  he  had  been  on  the  hustings  two  weeks,  he  was 
drawing  great  crowds  by  his  burning  eloquence. 


162  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

He  had  not  intended  referring  to  his  sorrows ; 
but,  under  the  spell  of  his  enthusiasm,  he  finally 
told  the  story  of  Allie's  death  and  little  Jim's 
blindness  as  the  results  of  the  profligate  lives  of 
the  men  who  had  married  his  daughters.  He  was 
not  bitter,  his  sorrow  had  softened  him  toward 
those  ignorant  men;  his  heart  was  broken,  and 
even  his  enemies  could  see  that  he  was  making 
an  appeal  rather  than  uttering  condemnation. 
His  purpose  was  so  unselfish,  and  his  object  so 
humanitarian  that  he  drew  to  his  support  the  in- 
telligent voters  who  usually  shrank  from  active 
part  in  politics.  Teachers,  doctors,  and  ministers 
rallied  to  him,  and  the  plain  farmers  and  ranchers 
were  aroused  from  their  indifference  to  champion 
this  new  leader,  who  proposed  to  emancipate 
their  daughters  and  sisters  from  the  curse  of  a 
double  standard. 

Bill  Colton  reported  to  the  corruptionists  that 
"his  opponent  had  attacked  the  liquor  traffic  and 
was  using  scientific  evidence  to  show  its  heredi- 
tary effects.  He  called  on  them  to  get  contradic- 
tory statements  from  doctors  and  ministers,  and 
to  send  him  money  to  keep  this  agitator  out  of 
the  legislature.  The  money  was  forthcoming  by 
return  mail,  and  he  had  assurance  that  literature 
would  reach  him  immediately  that  would  offset 
the  work  of  the  "fanatic"  that  was  trying  to  preju- 
dice the  mind  of  the  public  against  their  business. 

Nor  was  he  disappointed.  There  will  always  be 
men  in  the  medical  profession,  and  in  the  min- 
istry, that  can  be  hired  to  make  statements  in- 
tended to  shield  wrong-doers  and  bad  business. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  163 

The  district  was  soon  flooded  with  circulars 
denying  the  truth  Jim  was  teaching,  and  they 
had  the  appearance  of  authentic  opinions  by  phy- 
sicians and  ministers. 

They  had  reckoned  without  their  host,  however ; 
for  Jim  Miller  was  quick  to  send  detectives  to 
locate  every  man  whose  name  was  on  these  cir- 
culars. Their  main  medical  authority  was  found 
to  be  a  man  that  had  really  taken  a  course  in 
medicine,  but  had  become  a  slave  to  the  cocaine 
habit,  and  would  do  anything  to  get  the  drug. 
One  of  the  ministers  has  been  excluded  from  the 
church,  and  was  a  cobbler,  and  a  lecturer  on 
Socialism.  Thus  it  went  with  the  lot.  Neither 
side  spared  money  nor  printer's  ink.  The  women 
took  up  the  fight,  and  no  such  campaign  had  ever 
been  waged,  not  even  the  prohibition  campaign 
of  five  years  before,  as  swept  that  senatorial  dis- 
trict when  Jim  Miller  ran  for  the  office  on  behalf 
of  pure  manhood  and  character,  and  Bill  Colton 
ran  in  the  interests  of  liquor,  libertinism,  and 
dirty  politics. 

Colton's  crowd  sent  men  to  Kentucky  in  an 
endeavor  to  find  something  in  Jim  Miller's  past 
history  that  would  help  them  in  their  failing 
cause ;  but  there  was  nothing  to  be  uncovered 
that  would  help  defeat  him.  His  record  was 
clean  all  the  way  through,  and  he  had  always 
been  honest  and  straightforward  in  his  deal- 
ings with  men,  and  they  abandoned  that  effort.  In 
vain,  they  urged  his  lack  of  political  influence 
and  knowledge  of  law  and  law-making.  Jim  re- 
plied that  he  did  not  claim  much  of  either;  but 


164  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

he  did  know  that  something  must  be  done.  It  was 
money,  place,  and  liquor  against  women  and 
babies.  He  had  contributed  children  and  a  grand- 
child, and  was  now  giving  time  and  money  on 
the  side  of  innocent  human  beings ;  let  those  who 
would  have  protection  for  coming  generations 
vote  for  him,  and  Bill  Colton  and  his  crowd  must 
bear  the  responsibility  of  their  position. 

People  are  slow  to  learn,  and  the  magnitude 
of  the  task  Jim  Miller  had  set  for  himself  made 
many  sympathize  with  him,  then  shake  their 
heads  and  prophesy  failure.  Some  were  horrified 
at  public  discussion  of  such  delicate  matters  and 
condemned  Jim  for  agitating  them.  These  prudes 
were  of  both  sexes  and  of  all  ages.  They  held  up 
their  hands  in  holy  horror  as  they  declared  it 
an  outrage  that  such  sacred  things  should  -be 
dragged  into  politics.  Colton  caught  at  this 
straw  and  made  much  of  it.  He  deplored  the  de- 
cadence of  gentility  that  suffered  men  to  so  excite 
women  that  they  would  leave  their  firesides  to 
dabble  in  questions  that  were  proper  to  be  dis- 
cussed only  in  the  office  of  a  physician. 

Jim  found,  also,  that  when  you  raise  the 
question  of  curtailing  a  man's  natural  propensi- 
ties, however  depraved  they  may  be,  you  have  at 
once  aroused  the  opposition  of  that  man.  His 
proposed  laws  were  construed  to  mean  that  cer- 
tain personal  rights  and  liberties  were  to  be 
taken  from  men,  and  they  resented  the  idea. 
Young  men  congregated  in  the  pool-halls  and 
loafing-places,  and  discussed  the  proposition  that 
every  man  would  have  to  get  a  certificate  from 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  165 

two  physicians  declaring  him  fit  before  he  could 
get  a  license  to  wed.  They  were  against  that ;  for 
they  found  it  was  true  that  not  more  than  one 
out  of  five  of  them  could  get  such  certificates.  He 
was  also  proposing  a  law  that  no  man  could  get  a 
license  to  wed  who  had  been  intoxicated  twice 
in  the  preceding  twelve  months.  They  could  not 
stand  for  that ! 

Some  of  his  friends  began  to  fear  that  there 
was  danger  of  his  being  assassinated  by  a  drink- 
crazed  partisan  who  considered  his  rights  were 
at  stake.  But  Jim  Miller  was  not  a  coward,  nor 
was  he  intimidated  by  idle  threats.  He  answered 
all  their  arguments  with  logic  and  the  most  with- 
ering sarcasm.  When  asked  what  he  would  do 
in  the  event  Colton  defeated  him,  he  replied  in- 
stantly : 

"I  would  make  the  race  again,  two  years 
hence.  But  I  am  not  going  to  be  defeated.  My 
fight  is  righteous  and  unselfish,  and  I  am  going 
to  win.  Watch  the  returns." 

It  was  sure  to  be  a  close  race.  Colton  was 
claiming  the  district  by  a  large  majority ;  but 
that  is  a  trick  of  the  politicians.  Miller  was  say- 
ing little  and  working  hard  right  up  to  the  last 
moment.  The  women  had  organized  over  the 
whole  district,  and,  on  election-day,  they  met  in 
the  churches  early  in  the  morning  and  spent  the 
entire  day  in  praying  that  their  champion  would 
win.  This  was  counterbalanced  by  jugs  of 
whiskey  hidden  in  barns  and  old  store  buildings, 
to  which  the  thirsty  voter  was  piloted  by  one 
of  Colton's  workers. 


166  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

The  weather  was  fine  and  the  voting  heavy. 
Jim  Miller  stayed  in  his  office  at  Tamalpias, 
where  he  could  keep  in  touch  with  the  situation 
by  telephone.  Before  noon,  there  began  to  be  re- 
ports from  certain  places  that  Mexicans  and  ne- 
groes were  being  voted  in  squads  by  Colton's 
men.  It  was  too  late  to  help  it;  but,  in  case  of 
a  close  vote,  it  might  furnish  ground  for  a  con- 
test. Jim  instructed  his  men  at  other  places  to 
look  out  for  the  same  trick  and  prevent  it  if  pos- 
sible. As  reports  of  coercion  and  corruption 
came  in  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  work  and  pray- 
ers and  tears  on  the  other,  he  was  reminded  of 
the  battle  that  was  waged  over  the  unconscious 
form  of  Allie.  His  chin  quivered  and  his  breath 
came  in  gasps.  Then,  he  clenched  his  teeth  and 
struck  the  table  with  his  fist,  as  he  muttered : 

"I  must  win !  To  lose  this  fight  is  to  lose  my 
revenge  for  the  wrongs  of  my  children.  O  Allie, 
my  child,  I  must  win !" 

The  returns  came  in  slowly.  Now,  Miller  was 
ahead;  then,  it  was  Colton.  Through  the  night, 
it  was  first  one  then  the  other  in  the  lead.  The 
unofficial  count  gave  Colton  five  votes  majority. 
There  followed  a  week  of  uneasy  waiting  for  the 
official  count  to  be  announced.  No  contests  were 
filed,  and  the  commissioner's  report  would  be 
final.  On  the  strength  of  the  reports  by  tele- 
phone and  mail,  Bill  Colton  and  his  crowd  got 
drunk  and  shouted  over  their  victory.  Bill  showed 
a  roll  of  bills  that  he  had  saved  for  himself  out  of 
the  slush  fund  sent  him  by  outside  interests. 

Their  rejoicing  came  to  a  sudden  and  timely 


JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS  167 

end  when  it  was  announced  that  Jim  Miller  had 
carried  the  district  by  fifty-seven  votes.  Then, 
the  other  camp  began  to  rejoice  and  send  tokens 
to  each  other.  Congratulations  came  to  Jim  from 
over  the  whole  State  and  from  other  States.  His- 
wife  and  Jessie  had  helped  him  more  than  they 
knew,  and  he  told  them  so  that  night. 

"But  this  is  only  the  first  skirmish ;  we  have 
yet  to  fight  the  real  battle.  What  they  have  done 
here  is  only  an  indication  of  the  fight  the  oppo- 
sition will  put  up  in  the  legislature.  My  con- 
solation lies  in  the  fact  that,  while  the  battle 
rages,  the  people  are  being  enlightened.  Maury 
was  right ;  we  must  educate  the  young,  and  I  am 
going  to  urge  the  passage  of  laws  that  will  give 
to  every  county  a  school  physician  whose  duty  it 
will  be  to  lecture  to  the  boys  in  the  grammar  and 
high-school  grades  on  these  subjects.  Then,  I 
want  a  lady  with  medical  training  to  lecture  to 
the  girls  in  the  same  grades  on  sex  hygiene  and 
physiology.  Education  is  the  only  way  out,  after 
all." 

"Yes,"  agreed  his  wife,  "I  am  sure  you  are 
right,  and  I  want  to  establish  a  school  for  the 
training  of  these  lady  lecturers.  The  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  Maury  set  aside  for  this  purpose  will 
be  a  nucleus,  and  we  can  add  to  it.  I  have  been 
thinking  that,  perhaps,  this  is  the  work  Dixie  can 
help  us  inaugurate  after  she  has  finished  her 
training." 

"That  is  capital !"  cried  Jim,  and  they  fell  to 
planning  to  complete  their  revenge  on  the  Mon- 
ster that  had  devoured  their  former  happiness. 


168  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

Jessie  was  as  enthusiastic  as  her  parents  in  the 
undertaking,  and  asked  to  be  allowed  a  part  in  it. 
Her  income  was  sufficient  to  enable  her  to  give 
both  time  and  money  to  it,  and  her  father  gladly 
accepted  her  offer.  If  Jack  and  Dixie  joined 
them,  and  they  would,  the  whole  family  would 
be  arrayed  in  the  war  against  the  giant  wrong. 

"Senator"  Miller,  as  his  fellow  citizens  now 
called  him,  did  not  wait  until  the  legislature 
convened  to  push  the  campaign  of  enlightenment. 
He  continued  to  gather  information  and  data,  and 
publish  circulars  and  tracts  by  the  thousands.  He 
established  a  paper  in  the  interests  of  the  move- 
ment and  secured  one  of  the  best  editorial  man- 
agers and  writers  in  the  country  to  take  charge 
of  it.  Purity  journals  and  magazines  through- 
out the  Nation  recognized  a  hero  had  come  to 
the  front,  and  tendered  him  their  assistance. 
Other  States  took  cognizance  of  the  movement, 
and  the  obscure  ranchman  had  started  a  wave  of 
real  reform  that  was  destined  to  move  surely, 
though  slowly,  until  his  revenge  would  be  com- 
plete. 

As  he  expected,  he  found  opposition  of  the 
most  formidable  kind  awaiting  him  at  the  Capi- 
tol. But  the  fiercest  opposition  was  not  as  much 
in  his  way  as  the  type  of  personal  politics  we 
have  referred  to.  From  janitor  to  Governor,  ev- 
ery man  was  only  a  cog  in  a  wheel  that  revolved 
round  a  Boss  who  marked  the  destiny  of  men 
and  measures  as  a  shipping  clerk  checks  the 
articles  on  his  bills.  His  proposed  bills  would 
have  to  be  stamped  "O.  K."  by  this  Boss  before 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  169 

they  could  pass,  and  he  was  not  long  in  finding 
out  that  the  Boss  was  against  any  measure  that 
struck,  even  indirectly,  at  moral  questions.  When 
he  became  satisfied  that  he  could  not  secure  the 
enactment  of  his  bills  during  that  term,  he  threw 
himself  into  other  matters  with  a  vim  and  wis- 
dom that  made  the  politicians  sit  up  and  take 
notice  that  the  new  Senator  was  out  of  the  ordi- 
nary, and  would  have  to  be  taken  into  account. 
He  was  sure  of  a  second  term,  according  to  the  cus- 
tom of  his  party  in  the  State,  and  he  could  af- 
ford to  work  another  two  years  to  attain  his 
end. 

The  Boss  tried  to  approach  him,  and  his  col- 
leagues hinted  at  the  advantage  there  was  in 
being  on  good  terms  with  the  Boss.  They  tried 
coercion  when  other  tactics  failed ;  but  Jim  Miller 
could  not  see  why  men  elected  by  the  people 
should  have  a  Boss,  and  he  told  them  so  in  open- 
debate.  Although  he  did  not  realize  it  at  the 
moment,  he  was  throwing  down  the  gauntlet  to 
the  Boss,  and  that  individual  proceeded  to  pick  it 
up  at  once.  That  was  the  beginning.  The  end 
is  not  yet. 


170  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  HOUSE  OF  HEALING. 

It  was  born  in  the  heart  of  a  man — this  House 
of  Healing.  The  man's  friend  had  died  for  want 
of  surgical  attention,  and  the  man  dreamed  of  a 
sanitarium  where  other  men  could  have  the  very 
best  service  possible.  He  bided  his  time,  studying 
the  question  and  planning,  visiting  hospitals, 
talking  with  surgeons,  and  gathering  money.  He 
sent  his  architects  to  Baltimore  and  New  York 
with  instructions  to  make  plans  for  a  building 
that  would  be  ideal  for  its  great  purpose.  Then, 
through  the  months  on  months  consumed  in  the 
erection,  he  watched  the  materials  brought  in 
and  put  together.  The  groans  of  those  mangled 
by  cars  and  trucks  on  the  streets  of  his  city  found 
an  echo  in  his  heart,  and  he  urged  the  contrac- 
tors to  hurry.  His  first  thought,  as  he  opened 
his  eyes  each  morning,  was  of  the  House  of 
Healing,  and  he  would  look  out  of  his  east  win- 
dow to  see  if  the  walls  were  yet  high  enough  to 
be  discovered  over  the  intervening  house-tops. 
Many  moonlight  nights  he  walked  amid  the  shad- 
ows of  naked  steel  beams  that  were  slowly  finding 
their  places  for  floors  and  elevator  shafts.  Ar- 
chitects put  it  on  paper,  artisans  carried  out  the 
instructions  of  the  blue-prints,  quarries  and 
mines  yielded  up  their  treasure  to  furnish  the 
materials ;  but  the  building  was  conceived  and 
born  of  this  man's  heart.  He  experienced  all  the 


JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS  171 

anguish  of  travail  as  it  came  into  being,  and  his 
hand  patted  its  corridors,  and  caressed  its  pillars, 
as  tenderly  as  any  mother  ever  kissed  her  first- 
born. 

At  last,  it  was  finished.  The  doctors  came,  and 
the  nurses.  White  beds  filled  the  wards  and 
rooms.  Appliances,  instruments,  tables,  were  in 
place.  Washed,  medicated  air  passed  through  it, 
warmed  or  cooled  according  to  the  thermostats 
set  by  the  attendants.  Elevators  ran  noiselessly 
up  and  down,  and  the  patients  began  to  arrive. 
The  House  of  Healing  was  absolutely  fire-proof 
and  sanitary.  The  man  looked  on,  and  the  first 
smile,  since  his  friend  had  died,  lighted  his  noble 
face.  The  child  was  full-grown  and  beginning 
to  serve  an  afflicted  race.  Why  should  not  the 
man  show  his  gratification  by  a  smile?  Genera- 
tion after  generation  will  be  served  in  the  House 
of  Healing,  and  the  name  of  the  man  will  be 
spoken  after  he  has  taken  his  last  farewell  of  the 
child  of  his  heart.  That  is  real  life. 

It  was  to  this  magnificent  institution  that 
Dixie  went  for  training,  and  in  which  Drury  had 
the  good  fortune  to  be  appointed  interne.  They 
saw  little  of  each  other  except  on  the  occasion  of 
holidays,  or  the  chance  meeting  in  one  of  the 
operating  rooms,  or  in  a  charity  ward.  Both 
had  passed  the  purely  sentimental  stage,  and 
their  environment  and  their  purpose  in  life  pre- 
cluded any  silly  happenings  in  their  relationships. 

Drury  became  a  general  favorite  with  students 
and  doctors,  and  showed  natural  adaptability  and 
aptitude.  He  loved  surgery  and  was  soon  kept 


172  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

busy  assisting  in  emergency  cases.  The  Man 
came  to  notice  him,  and  gave  him  much  encour- 
agement by  his  kindly  words ;  Drury  loved  the 
Man  at  once  and  wished  to  be  like  him.  Nor 
did  he  wish  in  vain;  for  it  was  soon  whispered 
that  he  looked  like  the  Man,  and  his  voice  un- 
consciously partook  of  the  quality  of  the  Man's. 
He  walked  like  the  Man,  and,  most  of  all,  he 
wanted  to  be  the  character  this  Man  evidently 
was. 

Dixie  was  quick  to  notice  the  change  in  him, 
and  as  quick  to  locate  the  ideal  after  which  he 
was  moulding  his  life.  She  was  glad,  too.  Every- 
body loved  the  Man,  and  many  tried  to  imitate 
him,  and  made  themselves  ridiculous  in  the  at- 
tempt. However,  Drury  was  not  trying  to  imi- 
tate him,  and  would  have  been  insulted  by  the 
suggestion.  He  simply  wanted  to  be  like  him 
in  character,  and  was  unconsciously  acting  and 
speaking  like  him  on  that  account.  Although 
his  fellows  noticed  it,  they  refrained  from  twit- 
ting him,  as  they  did  the  others,  because  they 
knew  he  was  guileless  in  the  matter. 

Several  months  had  passed  by  when  Drury 
and  Dixie  had  a  half-holiday  together.  They 
went  to  a  beautiful  park  for  a  few  hours,  and 
Dixie  told  him  of  her  father's  election,  and  the 
plans  of  the  family.  His  interest  was  keen,  and 
he  expressed  his  approval  of  the  idea  of  a  school 
of  training  for  woman  lecturers  in  the  public 
schools. 

"You  will  make  an  ideal  principal  of  such  a 
school,  Dixie.  Since  I  can  not  make  a  home  for 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  173 

you,  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  you  make  your  life 
count  in  that  way." 

"That  is  the  only  compensation  I  can  ever  hope 
to  have.  Otherwise,  I  should  not  care  to  live." 

"Are  you  not  finding  pleasure  in  your  service 
here?" 

"Yes,  indeed.  I  want  to  tell  you !  The 
sweetest  thing  happened  a  few  days  ago.  They 
brought  in  that  little  urchin,  you  remember,  that 
had  been  run  over  by  a  motorcycle?  Well,  after 
the  doctors  had  finished  the  operation,  I  was  put 
in  charge  of  his  case.  There  was  a  small  room  on 
my  floor  not  in  use,  and  the  head  nurse  directed 
that  he  be  put  in  there.  It  was  quite  a  while 
before  he  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  anes- 
thetic, and  he  went  to  sleep  without  seeming  to 
notice  anything.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  I  was 
sitting  by  his  bedside  when  he  awoke.  He  looked 
at  me,  then  at  the  white  bed,  at  the  walls  and 
furniture,  and  at  some  white  roses  in  a  vase. 
Then,  he  turned  to  me  and  said :  'O  yes,  I  know. 
It  killed  me,  and  I  am  in  heaven,  and  you  are 
God's  wife !'  Poor  child,  he  had  never  been  on 
a  clean  bed  before,  did  not  even  know  that  such 
a  place  as  the  House  of  Healing  existed  on 
earth." 

"You  must  tell  the  Man  about  that." 

"I  did.  It  was  the  first  time  I  have  ever  seen 
tears  in  his  eyes.  Isn't  he  grand !" 

"Indeed  he  is.  I  wish  I  was  one-third  as  good 
as  he." 

"You  are,  my  dear  boy.  You  must  remember 
he  has  had  many  years  to  ripen  that  character 


174  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

in,  and  you  will  be  just  as  fine  and  grand  as  he, 
at  that  age." 

"In  your  eyes,  I  hope  at  least." 

"Yes,  and  in  goodness  and  usefulness  to  the 
world." 

Then,  they  wandered  about  the  park,  feeding 
the  squirrels,  and  watching  the  fish  in  the  foun- 
tain, until  time  to  return  to  their  duties. 

If  Dixie  found  little  romances  and  happy  in- 
cidents in  her  work,  she  also  found  things  not 
so  pleasant.  Sometimes,  her  patient  would  be  a 
grouchy  old  man,  who  could  never  be  pleased 
nor  humored.  Again,  there  would  be  a  querulous 
old  woman,  who  would  persist  in  talking  when 
told  to  be  quiet ;  or  a  stubborn  boy,  who  would 
not  obey.  Worse  than  these,  however,  was  the 
petted,  spoiled  patient,  who  cried  and  pouted, 
and  the  one  whose  convalescent  whims  gave 
trouble. 

The  trained  nurse  must  be  a  strong  character, 
for  her  position  is  a  trying  one.  Dixie  had  a 
charge  that  persisted  in  making  love  to  her.  He 
was  slow  in  recovering  from  a  serious  operation, 
and  he  declared  he  did  not  want  to  get  well 
enough  to  leave  unless  she  would  promise  to 
leave  with  him.  So  fervent  did  he  become  that 
she  persuaded  the  head  nurse  to  allow  her  to 
exchange  with  another  girl.  The  man  was  al- 
most immediately  well  enough  to  be  wheeled 
about  the  corridors,  where  he  would  lie  in  wait 
for  her.  He  sent  her  flowers  and  presents,  and 
wrote  her  love-letters.  Her  cold  demeanor  and 
polite  replies  that  she  could  not  return  his  af- 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  175 

fection,  and  her  emphatic  refusal  of  his  offer  of 
marriage,  only  made  him  the  more  ardent;  but, 
when  he  was  discharged  as  cured,  she  heard  no 
more  of  him.  Evidently,  he  had  dropped  back 
into  an  old  groove  of  life — perchance  returned  to 
an  old  love,  or,  who  knows,  found  a  new. 

During  her  second  year,  she  found  several 
patients  who  thought  a  nurse  a  piece  of  public 
property  to  be  used  or  abused  according  to  their 
fancy  or  whims.  They  paid  for  treatment  and 
nursing,  and,  with  the  inconsistency  of  the  near- 
sick,  expected  every  caprice  to  be  gratified, 
whether  reasonable  or  not.  They  found  one 
nurse,  however,  that  fully  understood  her  calling 
and  had  the  qualities  of  tenderness  and  tact  well 
balanced  by  will-power  and  courage.  She  did 
not  undertake  to  lecture  them,  nor  did  she  as- 
sume the  air  of  injured  innocence.  Her  attitude 
was  that  of  assistant  physician. 

Her  character  and  tact  were  quickly  recog- 
nized and  the  superintendent  told  her  she  was 
destined  to  become  a  head  nurse  if  she  wished 
such  a  position.  Her  plans,  however,  were  more 
in  keeping  with  her  father's  ambition.  She  was 
only  too  anxious  for  her  apprenticeship  to  come 
to  an  end,  so  she  could  join  forces  with  her 
parents  in  the  fight  against  the  Monster.  She.  told 
a  few  of  the  other  nurses  about  the  things  her 
father  had  discovered,  and  the  warfare  he  has 
taken  up  against  social  sin,  and  the  little  com- 
pany began  to  study  the  question  together.  They 
were  alarmed  at  the  number  of  patients  who 
were  in  the  House  of  Healing  on  account  of  this 


176  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

very  thing,  and,  from  doctors,  women,  and  older 
nurses,  they  gathered  facts  that  made  them 
thankful  Jim  Miller  had  arisen  to  lead  the  great 
campaign.  Dixie  obtained  promises  from  a 
goodly  number  of  these  nurses  to  help  her  in  the 
school  she  was  to  head,  and  of  others  to  become 
lecturers  in  the  public  schools  when  laws  were 
passed  to  "that  effect. 

The  Man  learned  of  her  father  and  his  sor- 
rows, and  of  the  revenge  he  had  undertaken; 
also  of  the  part  Dixie  was  to  play  in  it  all ;  and 
he  sent  for  her  and  gave  her  his  benediction. 

"You  will  meet  much  opposition,  Miss  Miller; 
those  who  lead  reforms  always  do.  Your  father  has 
found  that  out.  You  must  make  up  your  mind 
to  spend  your  life  without  seeing  very  much 
accomplished;  but  you  are  engaging  in  a  right- 
eous cause,  and  the  work  you  begin  will  be 
taken  up  by  those  who  come  after  you,  and 
generations  will  rise  up  and  call  you  blessed. 
Tell  your  father  that  my  poor  work  is  only  to 
repair  the  damage  after  it  is  done ;  but  his  mighty 
task  is  to  prevent  the  wrecks.  That  is  far  the 
greater  work." 

"I  thank  you  for  these  noble,  cheering  words. 
If  we  may  have  the  approval  of  such  men  as  you, 
we  will  not  care  for  the  opposition,  nor  for  the 
time  it  takes  to  firmly  establish  the  work.  But, 
to  compare  what  we  are  hoping  to  do  with  the 
magnificent  thing  you  lhave  already  accomp- 
lished, seems  like  sacrilege.  You  work  is  akin 
to  that  of  the  Christ." 

"Ah,  but  it  is  so  limited!     We  help  a  few 


JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS  177 

thousands — your  father  is  helping  the  whole  race. 
Thank  God  that  you  may  help  him  in  his  God- 
given  work." 

It  was  always  thus.  The  Man  had  the  won- 
derful gift  of  inspiring  others  to  great  deeds,  and 
never  put  himself,  nor  the  institution  he  had 
brought  into  being,  forward  as  an  example. 
Dixie  went  from  his  presence  strangely  exhil- 
arated and  confident. 

She  wrote  her  father  about  this  conversation, 
and  was  delighted  when  he  replied  that  the  en- 
couragement had  come  when  he  needed  it  most. 
His  enemies  were  doing  their  utmost  to  prevent 
his  return  to  the  senate,  and  this  timely  word 
gave  him  inspiration  to  throw  himself  into  the 
struggle  with  new  vigor. 

Drury  had  finished  his  service  in  the  House  of 
Healing,  and  had  returned  to  Tamalpias  to  carry 
out  his  contract  with  Dr.  McConnell.  She  wrote 
him,  also,  of  the  talk  with  the  Man,  and  it 
warmed  his  heart  and  made  him  resolve  to  do 
his  best  for  the  suffering  ones  about  him.  He 
wondered  if  the  Man  knew  how  his  words  were 
repeated  and  passed  on  to  the  teeming  thousands, 
giving  cheer,  firing  ambition,  warming  selfish 
hearts,  and  stirring  enthusiasm.  Again,  he  de- 
termined to  be  like  him.  His  reply  to  Dixie's 
letter  recorded  the  renewal  of  that  resolution,  and 
her  heart  was  glad.  She  longed  for  the  right 
and  the  opportunity  to  help  him  achieve  such 
character  and  greatness. 


178  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

DRURY   PATTERSON,    M.    D. 

It  would  have  been  difficult  for  Drury  to  have 
returned  to  Tamalpias  for  the  practise  of  his 
profession,  had  he  not  become  the  protege  and 
partner  of  Dr.  McConnell.  His  life  and  character 
were  so  clean  that  he  had  no  fears  along  that 
line;  but  the  old  proverb  is  true:  "A  prophet  is 
not  without  honor  save  in  his  own  country." 
He  had  arrived  at  Tamalpias  when  he  was  a 
mere  boy,  and  he  knew  everybody.  "Familiarity 
breeds  contempt,"  and  he  was  timid  about  claim- 
ing knowledge  and  ability  in  his  profession 
among  those  who  had  never  discovered  anything 
unusual  in  his  caliber  or  attainments.  True,  he 
had  won  honors  in  the  high  school ;  but  some  one 
did  that  every  year.  Beyond  all  this  was  the 
stern  fact  that  he  was  the  child  of  a  drunkard 
who  had  died  of  delirium  tremens.  The  town- 
folk  did  not  hold  this  against  him  in  any  definite 
way;  however,  he  knew  that  it  would  be  used  in 
case  he  aroused  any  opposition.  He  shrank  from 
the  possibility  of  such  aspersion,  yet  he  knew 
that  his  position  on  certain  questions,  and  the 
things  that  would  come  up  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  would  engender  conpetitive  opposi- 
tion and  criticism,  and  the  enmity  of  those  whose 
calls  for  illegal  work  he  must  preemptorily  de- 
cline. Much  of  this  would  be  avoided  by  en- 
tering the  firm  as  junior  partner.  Dr.  McCon- 
iiell  would  become  fully  responsble  for  everything 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  179 

that  came  up  in  the  practice,  and  Drury  would 
have  his  advice  and  counsel.  The  old  Doctor 
treated  him  more  as  a  son  than  as  a  partner,  and 
Drury  looked  on  him  as  a  father.  Their  talks 
were  frank  and  full  of  mutual  confidence,  and  the 
older  man  fully  recognized  the  up-to-date  train- 
ing and  education  of  the  younger. 

It  was  a  brisk  fall  morning,  and  the  young 
Doctor  was  invigorated  by  his  morning  bath  and 
the  long  walk  in  the  fresh  air,  when  he  came 
down  the  street  to  the  office.  As  he  neared  the 
stairway,  he  noticed  a  new  sign  swinging  at  the 
entrance.  His  pulse  quickened  and  his  breast 
heaved  with  pride  as  he  read  the  gilt  letters : 

"DRS.  McCONNELL  &  PATTERSON, 
Physicians  and  Surgeons." 

He  did  not  know  the  order  for  the  sign  had 
been  given,  and  his  surprise  was  complete.  An 
old  schoolmate  was  passing  and  stopped  to  con- 
gratulate him,  and  his  cup  was  full  to  over- 
flowing. He  had  dreamed  of  the  time  when  his 
name  would  be  announced  as  a  healer  of  men ; 
but  to  have  it  coupled  like  this,  with  the  name  of 
such  a  successful  doctor  as  this  dear  old  man 
who  had  made  a  place  for  himself  in  every  heart 
and  home  in  the  Valley,  was  more  than  he  had 
expected  for  ten  years  to  come.  His  experience 
in  the  House  of  Healing  had  given  him  ease  and 
grace  in  the  sick-room,  as  well  as  ability  to  in- 
spire the  confidence  of  family  and  patient.  His 
first  calls  were  made  in  the  company  of  Dr. 
McConnell;  but  it  was  not  long  until  it  became 


180  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

necessary  for  him  to  visit  some  of  their  patients 
by  himself. 

His  only  embarrassment  was  when  he  was 
called  to  see  old  playmates  or  schoolmates.  He 
soon  saw,  however,  that  their  embarrassment 
was  greater  than  his,  and  that  helped  him  to 
gain  that  poise  and  equilibrium  that  quickly 
overcame  all  timidity  and  sensitiveness.  Indeed, 
it  was  not  long  until  he  was  called,  by  prefer- 
ence, to  many  homes  where  his  partner  had 
attended  for  years.  His  bright  disposition,  which 
had  been  a  striking  characteristic  since  child- 
hood, was  a  valuable  asset  in  any  sick-room.  His 
touch  was  light  and  his  manner  gentle;  his 
methods  were  firmness  and  promptitude;  his  de- 
mands were  cleanliness  and  cheerfulness,  and  he 
never  talked  of  himself  nor  paraded  his  knowl- 
edge. 

Under  his  treatment  and  suggestion,  several 
chronic  cases  that  had  been  under  treatment  for 
years  were  cured,  and  these  persons  went  about 
singing  his  praises.  He  was  reputed  to  have 
cured  young  Martin  Williams  of  a  malady  that  had 
baffled  many  doctors ;  but  he  and  Martin  knew 
that  his  medicine  had  been  compounded  mostly 
of  sound  lecturing  and  helpful  advice. 

Marvin  Harris  had  married  Thelma  Dawson, 
and  they  spent  the  summer  in  Michigan.  When 
they  came  home  in  October,  Marvin  scoffed  at 
the  idea  of  Drury  Patterson  being  in  the  active 
practice  of  medicine,  and  especially,  being  a  part- 
ner of  Dr.  McConnell. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  Dr.  McConnell,  any- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  181 

how?  he  ought  to  have  better  sense  than  to  take 
that  fellow  in  with  him.  What  can  he  ever 
amount  to?  Why,  it  means  the  death  of  the 
folks  that  have  him.  Of  course,  these  young 
doctors  must  have  somebody  to  experiment  on ; 
but  Drury  Patterson  will  kill  more  people  than 
he  will  ever  cure."  He  talked  like  that  until  Dr. 
McConnell  heard  it,  and  went  to  him.  Even 
then,  he  refused  to  believe  that  the  son  of  a 
drunkard  like  John  Patterson  could  ever  amount 
to  anything.  There  were  a  few  who  sided  with 
him,  and  they  told  Dr.  McConnell  that  he  must 
never  send  Drury  to  see  their  sick. 

An  epidemic  of  scarlet  fever  broke  out  in 
December,  and  the  schools  were  closed  on  ac- 
count of  it.  Drury  threw  himself  into  the  work 
of  checking  the  disease  with  such  vigor  that  all 
the  doctors  were  astounded.  His  methods  were 
new  to  them,  and  the  response  to  his  use  of  the 
serum  was  so  prompt  and  effective  that  he  was 
called  in  consultation  with  every  doctor  in  the 
Valley.  If  anything  was  needed  to  establish  him 
firmly  after  that,  it  came  when  three  cases  of 
diphtheria  almost  threw  the  town  into  panic, 
and  he  was  successful  in  the  use  of  that  serum. 
Marvin  Harris's  baby  was  two  weeks  old  when 
Dr.  McConnell  was  stricken  with  a  fever.  He 
sent  Drury  to  make  a  call  there  in  his  stead ;  but 
Marvin  would  not  receive  him.  Although  the 
insult  was  keen,  Drury  was  more  concerned 
about  the  afflicted  baby  than  he  was  about  the 
unjust  words  of  his  old  rival.  At  that  particular 
time,  the  only  other  doctor  to  be  had  was  a  man 


182  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

who  was  somewhat  dissipated,  and  who  had  very 
little  practice.  He  was  called,  and  told  them 
there  was  nothing  wrong  with  the  child's  eyes 
except  that  he  had  taken  a  little  cold,  which  had 
settled  in  them.  Mrs.  Harris  was  not  doing 
well,  and  they  sent  for  a  trained  nurse,  when  who 
should  be  detailed  for  this  service  but  Dixie 
Miller !  She  was  glad  to  undertake  the  duty,  as 
it  would  take  her  home  for  a  short  time.  She 
did  not  know  whom  she  was  to  serve  until  she 
arrived,  nor  did  they  know  who  would  be  sent. 
Marvin  and  Thelma  were  both  delighted  when 
Dixie  arrived,  and  she  was  soon  installed  in 
charge  of  both  mother  and  child.  It  took  her 
only  a  few  hours  to  become  convinced  that  there 
was  more  than  "cold"  wrong  with  the  baby's 
eyes,  and  she  asked  the  privilege  of  carrying  it 
to  Dr.  McConnell's  home,  that  he  might  see  it. 
This  was  done,  and  the  old  physician  sent  for 
Drury  immediately.  To  the  experienced  young 
doctor,  there  was  hardly  need  of  microscopic 
examination  before  pronouncing  the  trouble 
ophthalmia.  He  had  learned  to  be  painstaking, 
however,  and  he  did  not  give  his  diagnosis  until 
he  had  the  evidence  of  science.  Since  Dr.  Pat- 
terson had  been  insulted  and  forbidden  the  home 
of  Marvin  Harris,  and  since  Dr.  McConnell  was 
too  ill  to  treat  the  child,  the  only  thing  to  be 
done  was  to  send  for  the  father  and  talk  with 
him.  This  Dr.  McConnell  did.  When  he  came, 
the  Doctor  said : 

"Marvin,  I  am  a  sick  man  and  do  not  know 
that  I  shall  ever  get  well.    If  I  was  able,  I  would 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  183 

undertaken  to  treat  your  baby's  eyes.  You  have 
refused  the  services  of  Dr.  Patterson  for  no  other 
reason  than  your  prejudice,  and  foolish  enmity. 
I  can  not  say  anything  about  the  doctor  you  have 
employed,  but  I  am  compelled  to  tell  you  that, 
under  the  present  treatment,  or  lack  of  it,  your 
child  will  be  blind  within  a  month.  Your  wife 
is  not  able  to  take  it  away  for  treatment,  nor  is 
that  necessary;  Dr.  Patterson  can  cure  it  as  well 
as  any  specialist  in  the  world.  Lay  aside  your 
prejudice  and  let  him  serve  your  child." 

"What  is  the  trouble  with  the  baby's  eyes,  Dr. 
McConnell?" 

"Ophthalmia." 

"What  is  that?" 

"It  is  the  same  disease  that  destroyed  Little 
Jim  Miller's  eyes." 

"What!  Is  that  what  Jim  Miller  is  lecturing 
about?" 

"Exactly." 

"But  I  never " 

"Hold  on,  Marvin.  Remember  you  are  talking^ 
to  your  own  physician  now.  You  might  plead 
innocence  to  another,  but  not  to  me.  You 
laughed  at  me  when  I  told  you  the  truth.  Now, 
your  child  is  suffering  for  your  sin,  and  this 
trouble  must  be  attended  to  at  once  if  you  would 
save  the  sight  of  the  babe." 

"Are  you  sure  of  this,  Doctor?" 

"Absolutely.  I  had  Dr.  Patterson  examine  a 
specimen  from  the  baby's  eyes  under  the  micro- 
scope, and  there  can  be  no  doubt  about  it." 


184  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"And  Dixie  Miller  and  Drury  Patterson  know 
all  about  this?" 

"Yes.  Miss  Miller  knew  it  at  once.  That  is 
why  she  brought  the  child  to  me." 

"My  God !  I  would  rather  any  one  in  the 
world  would  know  it  than  they,  except  my  father 
and  my  wife.  Must  they  know  it?" 

"No  need  for  that.  Dr.  Patterson  will  never 
tell  a  soul  what  the  trouble  is,  nor  will  Miss 
Miller.  They  are  trained  to  keep  professional 
secrets.  The  treatment  will  not  arouse  suspicion, 
and  the  child  will  be  well  in  a  short  time." 

"My  wife  will  not  know?" 

"Not  through  doctor  or  nurse." 

"Well,  I  suppose  there  is  nothing  else  to  be 
done.  Send  Drury  right  away,  if  he  will  come." 

"No.  I  want  you  to  be  a  man.  You  insulted 
him ;  now  go  to  the  office  and  apologize  to  him, 
then  ask  him  to  take  the  case.  He  is  a  perfect 
gentleman,  and  he  would  attend  the  child  if  I 
asked  him  to.  You  owe  it  to  him,  though,  and 
to  yourself,  to  go  to  him  like  a  man  and  ask  him 
to  take  the  case." 

"You  are  asking  me  to  do  a  hard  thing." 

"No,, sir,  I  am  asking  you  to  do  a  big  thing,  a 
manly  thing.  If  you  are  a  real  gentleman,  you 
will  do  it." 

"All  right,  Doctor,  I  will  do  it." 

He  found  Dr.  Patterson  busy  and  had  to  wait 
for  his  turn  to  be  admitted  to  the  consultation- 
room.  While  he  waited,  he  looked  about. 
There,  on  the  wall,  beside  Dr.  McConnell's  an- 
cient sheepskin,  was  Drury  Patterson's  diploma, 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  185 

and  his  license  from  the  State  Medical  Board. 
It  began  to  dawn  on  him  that  he  had  turned  a 
man  from  his  door  who  was  fully  recognized  by 
the  highest  authority  in  his  profession,  and  all 
for  puerile  reasons,  too.  Some  of  the  waiting 
patients  were  discussing  the  Doctor,  and  they  all, 
with  one  accord,  declared  him  a  wonderful 
healer.  Their  very  presence  there  was  proof  of 
their  faith  in  his  powers,  and  Marvin  began  to 
wish  for  his  turn  to  come  to  enter  that  mysteri- 
ous room  where  secrets  are  carried  in,  but  never 
carried  out.  At  last,  Dr.  Patterson  came  out 
with  an  old  man,  and,  when  he  had  dismissed 
him,  turned  and  extended  his  hand  to  Marvin. 

"How  are  you,  Mr.  Harris?"  he  said,  with  the 
utmost  earnestness.  "What  can  I  do  for  you?" 

"I  want  to  consult  you  privately,  Dru Dr. 

Patterson." 

"Step  into  my  room." 

Marvin  found  it  difficult  to  come  to  the  matter 
in  hand.  He  felt,  as  never  before,  that  he  was 
the  vagabond,  the  outcast.  He  knew  that  Drury 
had  always  shunned  the  very  sin  that  was  now 
proving  his  own  ruin.  He  had  called  him  the 
child  of  a  drunkard,  while  he  himself  had  been 
worse  than  a  drunkard.  Dr.  Patterson  saw  his 
confusion  and  asked: 

"How  is  Mrs.  Harris?" 

"She  is  not  getting  well  at  all.  There  is  no 
use  in  beating  about  the  bush,  Doctor.  You 
know  my  awful  fix  and  what  brings  me  here.  I 
was  a  cad  to  treat  you  as  I  did.  You  always  beat 
me  at  athletics;  you  excelled  me  in  school;  you 


186  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

won  the  lasting  love  of  the  girl  I  wanted  to 
marry;  and  I  allowed  my  foolish  prejudice  and 
jealousy  to  overbalance  my  judgment.  I  ask  you 
to  pardon  my  nasty  words,  and  forget  that  I  ever 
acted  so  rudely  to  you." 

"You  embarrass  me,  Marvin.  I  assure  you 
that  I  have  no  ill-will  toward  you,  and  shall 
never  think  of  all  that  again." 

"Thank  you,  Doctor.  With  your  pardon,  I 
also  ask  your  service  in  saving  the  eyes  of  my 
child,  if  it  is  not  too  late.  Dr.  McConnell  told 
me  plainly  what  the  disease  is,  and  I  am  sure 
you  can  not  have  the  respect  for  me  that  I  have 
for  you.  You  have  always  been  so  clean  and 
pure ;  that  is  one  reason  I  have  not  been  cour- 
teous to  you ;  but  I  have  more  respect  for  you, 
now  that  I  realize  what  I  have  done." 

"That  is  noble.  We  will  not  discuss  it  any 
further,  just  now.  I  will  be  out  to  see  the  baby 
within  an  hour.  God  bless  you  and  help  us  to  save 
the  little  eyes." 

Marvin's  hardest  task  was  to  enter  the  pres- 
ence of  the  nurse  who  knew  him  so  well,  and 
who  now  knew  him  for  what  he  really  was. 
Never  had  his  proud  spirit  been  so  humbled,  and 
he  thought  he  could  see  why  Maury  Tallman  had 
taken  his  own  life.  That  was  what  he  would  do 
if  his  baby's  eyes  were  not  saved.  And  to  think 
that  this  young  doctor  and  this  nurse  should  be 
the  ones  to  discover  the  trouble  and  provide  the 
cure,  was  almost  more  than  he  could  bear. 

Dixie  was  as  kind  and  unembarrassed  as  if  she 
was  in  the  home  of  her  own  kindred,  and  she 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  187 

seemed  to  love  the  baby  from  the  very  first. 
Mrs.  Harris  was  overjoyed  at  the  attention  and 
capability  of  the  nurse,  and  told  Marvin  she  was 
a  perfect  angel. 

Dr.  Patterson  soon  had  the  case  well  in  hand 
and  was  gratified  to  see  the  steady  improvement 
in  the  eyes.  The  other  doctor  had  been  dismissed 
before  he  took  charge  of  the  case,  and  Drury 
was  also  asked  to  attend  the  mother.  He  found 
her  suffering  intensely,  and  soon  decided  that 
she  would  have  to  undergo  an  operation.  This 
was  such  a  shock  to  Marvin  that  he  became 
desperate,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  Dr. 
Patterson  dissuaded  him  from  his  purpose  to 
follow  Maury  Tallman  in  taking  his  own  life. 
To  make  matters  worse,  in  a  fit  of  remorse,  he 
went  into  the  invalid's  room  and  told  her  the 
whole  horrid  story,  and  explained  to  her  the 
cause  of  the  baby's  narrow  escape  and  her  own 
infirmity.  The  shock  was  very  great,  but  no 
greater  than  the  effect  on  her  attitude  to  him. 
She  spurned  him,  and  threatened  to  leave  him 
and  secure  a  divorce.  He  begged  and  sobbed, 
but  she  was  obdurate.  In  his  distress,  he  turned 
to  Dixie  and  implored  her  to  intercede  for  him. 
It  is  well  she  had  such  marvelous  tact  and 
powers  of  persuasion,  for  it  was  the  hardest  task 
she  ever  undertook.  For  more  than  a  week,  she 
argued,  and  urged  his  ignorance  and  his  repent- 
ance. Dr.  Patterson  added  his  plea  to  Dixie's 
but,  it  was  not  until  they  told  her  that  Marvin 
was  breaking  down,  and  would  likely  destroy 
himself,  that  she  relented  and  sent  for  him ;  and, 


188  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

just  like  a  woman,  her  forgiveness  was  full  and 
complete,  and  the  fire  only  welded  their  love 
more  firmly  than  it  had  ever  been. 

There  was  no  one  prouder  than  Dr.  McConnell 
when  Dixie  took  the  baby  over  to  let  him  see  it 
after  it  was  well.  Its  bright  eyes  sparkled  in 
their  clearness,  and  it  responded  to  his  play  with 
smiles  and  baby  laughter. 

"It  is  a  happy  day  for  me,"  he  told  Dixie.  "I 
have  loved  Drury  Patterson  ever  since  I  first 
saw  him.  I  knew  he  would  make  his  mark,  and 
I  am  doubly  pleased  that  he  has  chosen  my  pro- 
fession. Why,  the  saving  of  these  little  eyes  is 
a  greater  blessing  than  some  people  have  ever 
been  to  the  world." 

"I  am  glad  you  have  been  such  a  friend  to 
him,  Dr.  McConnell.  You  have  helped  and  in- 
spired him  more  than  you  know." 

"I  suspect  you  have  been  more  inspiration  to 
him  than  any  one  else.  Of  course,  you  understand 
that  I  know  why  you  have  not  married,  Dixie. 
There  never  was  a  nobler,  cleaner  man  than  Dr. 
Patterson ;  he  is  as  fine  and  pure  as  he  can  be, 
and  I  sincerely  wish  he  did  not  have  John  Pat- 
terson's blood  in  his  veins.  You  are  both  the  most 
sensible  young  people  I  ever  knew." 

"Thank  you  for  your  kind  words,  Doctor.  We 
are  both  happy  in  the  work  we  have  chosen,  and 
the  privilege  of  co-operating  in  this  one  case  is 
a  measure  of  compensation." 

Marvin  Harris,  watching  them  in  their  work, 
envied  them.  They  were  more  like  two  doctors 
working  in  perfect  harmony  than  two  lovers,  for 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  189 

they  never  allowed  themselves  to  become  silly. 
Their  love  was  too  sacred  to  talk  much  about. 
It  was  only  when  they  congratulated  themselves 
on  the  success  of  their  efforts,  as  they  held  hands 
for  a  moment  and  looked  into  each  other's  eyes 
with  pride,  that  the  fires  burned  on  the  altars  of 
their  hearts  with  more  than  usual  fervor.  It  was 
an  undying  affection  that  was  made  holy  by  the 
barriers  to  its  consummation  He  had  wonderful 
control  of  himself,  for  he  knew  that  the  battle 
was  mostly  his.  The  maternal  instinct  was  very 
strong  in  Dixie.  She  dreamed  of  nursing  the 
Harris  baby,  and,  several  times,  the  dreams 
transformed  her  into  a  modern  madonna.  She 
would  awaken  with  a  strange  feeling  that  the 
baby  on  her  arm  was  her  own ;  then,  her  sorrow 
would  amount  almost  to  rebellion  at  the  circum- 
stances that  forbade  her  the  exalted  privilege  of  mo- 
therhood. 

When  Mrs.  Harris  was  able,  Dr.  Patterson 
took  her  to  the  city,  that  she  might  have  the 
advantage  of  the  equipment  of  the  House  of 
Healing  and  the  services  of  the  best  surgeons 
in  the  State.  Dixie  returned  with  him,  and  was 
made  special  nurse  in  the  case.  The  operation 
was  successful,  and  the  surgeon  said  she  would 
entirely  recover  if  complications  did  not  arise. 
Marvin  was  entirely  subdued,  and  his  friends 
knew  he  would  never  be  the  same  impetuous  man 
again.  His  parents  never  knew  what  the  trouble 
was  with  either  mother  or  baby,  and  his  wife 
came  to  look  on  it  all  as  an  unavoidable  thing 
over  which  neither  of  them  had  any  control.  She 


190  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

was  content  with  her  child,  her  husband,  and  her 
nice  home,  and  did  not  propose  to  worry  over 
the  mistakes  of  the  past  nor  the  woes  of  others. 

Drury  was  too  busy  to  sit  down  and  recount 
his  successes;  but  he  was  happy  in  seeing  suf- 
fering alleviated,  and  the  gratitude  of  those  he 
served  fully  repaid  him  for  the  harsh  words  of 
the  few  enemies  who  tried  to  disparage  him.  But 
his  greatest  joy  was  that  he  was  pleasing  his 
benefactor,  Jim  Miller.  The  Senator  knew  about 
the  baby,  and  he  told  the  young  doctor  how  much 
he  appreciated  his  ability  to  save  eyes  like  that. 
He  forbade  the  young  doctor  ever  to  offer  to  re- 
pay him  the  loan  with  which  he  had  secured  his 
education;  he  declared  he  wanted  that  much  in- 
vestment in  the  great  work  already  done,  and  in 
what  should  yet  be  done.  It  was  part  of  his  re- 
venge for  the  injuries  to  his  own  loved  ones. 

Mrs.  Miller  and  Jessie  Tallman  were  also 
valuable  friends  of  the  junior  member  of  the  firm 
of  McConnell  and  Patterson.  They  entertained 
him  and  recommended  him  to  such  purpose  that 
he  was  called  into  the  best  homes  in  the  Valley, 
and  was  soon  established  in  the  largest  practice 
any  one  doctor  had  ever  had.  His  fees  were  large 
because  he  was  called  to  attend  cases  that  were 
formerly  sent  away  for  expert  treatment  in  the 
cities.  Other  doctors  went  about  in  their  slow- 
going  buggies ;  but  he  drove  an  automobile,  and 
was  at  the  bedside  of  a  patient  before  the  others 
could  hitch  up  and  start.  When  Dr.  McConnell 
recovered  from  his  illness  he  took  care  of  the 
office  practice,  and  turned  over  the  visiting  to 
Dr.  Patterson. 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  191 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  RAY  OF  LIGHT  FOR  DRURY. 

Dr.  Patterson  purchased  a  neat  modern  cot- 
tage and  installed  his  mother  there.  She  never 
went  out;  indeed,  she  had  never  mingled  in  the 
social  circles  of  Tamalpias.  Since  her  widow- 
hood, she  had  been  more  of  a  recluse  than  ever. 
Drury  urged  her  to  entertain  friends,  and  to  ac- 
cept the  invitations  that  came,  for  his  sake ;  but 
she  could  not  bring  herself  to  undertake  the 
responsibilities,  and  told  him  that  she  would  be 
more  apt  to  embarrass  him  than  to  help.  He  ac- 
cepted the  situation,  while  deploring  it.  His  na- 
ture demanded  social  intercourse,  and  his  pro- 
fession made  it  almost  imperative,  if  he  was  to  be 
more  than  an  ordinary  country  doctor.  His  moth- 
er's decision  caused  him  to  think,  more  than  ever 
before,  what  a  help  Dixie  Miller  could  be  to  him 
in  making  his  life  count.  More  than  once  he 
wondered  why  his  nature  was  so  different  from 
his  mother's,  to  say  nothing  of  the  wide  dis- 
similarity between  him  and  the  elder  Patterson. 

Mrs.  Patterson  was  very  careful  for  his  com- 
fort, and  always  had  his  meals  served  to  his 
exact  taste  and  convenience.  His  clothes  were 
always  in  the  best  of  order,  and  he  could  count 
on  her  to  see  that  the  yard-man  kept  things  ac- 
cording to  his  instructions.  What  she  lacked  in 
social  qualities,  she  made  up  in  housekeeping  and 
home-making  ability  and  management.  She  was 
a  very  devout  woman.  Many  times,  when  he 


19WS  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

would  come  in  late  at  night,  he  would  find  her 
reading  her  Bible  or  praying.  She  was  a  regular 
attendant  at  her  church  on  Sunday  mornings, 
and  contributed  liberally  out  of  her  allowance 
from  Drury. 

He  studied  her  closely  and  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  something  was  preying  on  her  mind. 
He  resolved  to  ask  her  about  it,  and,  one  rainy 
night,  when  they  were  alone,  he  said  to  her: 

"Mother,  I  am  afraid  there  is  something 
troubling  you.  Are  you  worrying  over  some- 
thing?" 

She  was  startled,  and  looked  at  him  curiously 
for  some  time  before  replying.  "What  makes  you 
think  so,  Drury?" 

"Well,  I  have  noticed  you  sitting  in  brown 
study  so  often,  and  your  religious  attitude  gives 
one  the  impression  that  there  is  an  old  sore  in 
your  memory.  I  do  not  want  to  be  inquisitive, 
but  I  thought  it  might  be  something  that  you 
could  share  with  me.  Perhaps  I  could  help  you." 

"No,  no.  It  is  nothing.  I  am  all  right.  Per- 
haps I  am  dwelling  too  much  on  the  past,  but — " 

She  stopped  and  sighed  deeply.  Then,  she 
got  up  and  kissed  his  forehead,  and  left  the  room 
without  a  word.  The  incident  confirmed  his  con- 
viction that  there  was  a  skeleton  in  the  past  of 
which  he  knew  nothing,  and  his  mother  seemed 
to  prefer  that  he  should  not  know.  He  did  not 
like  the  mystery.  If  there  was  anything  that  had 
taken  place  in  the  family  to  make  her  like  that, 
he  ought  to  know  it,  and  he  would;  he  would 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  193 

demand  of  her  to  tell  him  the  first  opportunity 
that  presented  itself. 

The  next  morning  she  was  indisposed,  and  he 
found  she  had  a  high  fever.  He  prescribed  for 
her  and  told  her  she  would  be  all  right  in  a  few 
days.  When  she  failed  to  improve  according  to 
expectations,  he  sent  for  Dixie  Miller  to  come 
and  nurse  her.  She  steadily  grew  worse,  and  he 
called  Dr.  McConnell  into  consultation.  Her 
symptoms  indicated  mental  or  nervous  affection ; 
but  she  refused  to  tell  them  whether  there  was 
anything  on  her  mind.  Drury  made  an  attempt 
to  secure  her  confidence  in  the  matter,  but  she 
broke  down  and  sobbed  so  that  he  abandoned 
the  effort.  He  was  sitting  with  her  one  day 
while  Dixie  was  at  dinner,  when  she  cried  softly 
for  several  minutes.  He  asked  her  what  the 
matter  was  that  grieved  her  so,  and  she  reached 
for  his  hand  and  drew  him  down  to  her. 

"O  Drury,"  she  said,  "you  will  never  know  how 
I  have  loved  you !  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  my 
trouble,  but  I  can  not.  I  promised  Mr.  Patter- 
son I  would  never  tell  a  living  soul,  and  I  must 
keep  my  vow.  It  almost  drives  me  crazy  at 
times.  Promise  me  that  you  will  always  love 
me." 

"Why,  Mother,  dear,  of  course  I  will  always 
love  you.  I  fear  you  are  not  yourself  today.  Try 
to  rest  and  get  well;  then,  we  will  talk  it  over, 
and  you  must  tell  me  what  it  is.  If  it  concerns 
me,  I  ought  to  know  it." 

"Yes,  it  concerns  you.  Let  me  see.  Where  was 
I?  It  was  terrible,  wasn't'  it?  And  I  caught  hold 


194  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

of  the  rope,  and  just  then  you  leaped  into  my 
arms,  and  I — Drury,  where  are  you?" 

"Here  I  am,  Mother,  darling.  What  is  it  you 
are  trying  to  tell  me?" 

"Tell  you?  I  was  not  trying  to  tell  you  any- 
thing. What  did  I  say?" 

Then,  it  dawned  on  him  that  she  was  delirious, 
and  the  awful  thought  that  her  mind  was  almost 
shattered  struck  him  dumb. 

"What  was  I  saying,  Drury?" 

"Nothing,  dear.  You  were  just  tired.  Do  you 
want  to  go  to  sleep?  There  now.  Just  go  to 
sleep." 

Dixie  came  to  relieve  him,  and  he  turned  sad- 
ly from  the  room  and  went  to  his  office.  Then, 
the  duties  of  the  afternoon  claimed  his  attention, 
and  he  almost  forgot  the  thousand  surmises  the 
few  words  she  had  spoken  in  her  delirium  had 
sent  through  his  mind. 

Soon  after  he  left,  Mrs.  Patterson  aroused  from 
a  stupor  into  which  she  had  sunk,  and  looked 
earnestly  at  Dixie  for  some  time.  Then  she 
spoke  quietly. 

"Why  haven't  you  and  Dr.  Patterson  mar- 
ried?" 

The  question  was  so  simple,  and  asked  in  such 
an  innocent  way,  that  Dixie  was  shocked.  Yet 
she  could  not  turn  the  suffering  woman  aside 
with  an  evasive  answer. 

"Do  you  not  know?" 

"No.  I  have  often  wondered,  and  thought  I 
would  ask  Drury  some  time." 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  195 

"Well,  we  believe  it  would  be  unsafe  for  us  to 
marry  under  the  circumstances." 

"O  I  remember.  He  said  something  like  that 
to  me  the  day  Mr.  Patterson  died.  He  seemed  tc 
be  afraid  that  he,  he — What  do  I  want  to  say? 
Afraid  he — O  yes,  afraid  he  would  some  day  be  a 
drunkard.  No,  not  just  that.  But  he  won't,  and 
I  know  why ;  but  I  must  not  tell.  John  Patterson 
said  he  would  kill  me  if  I  told.  I  won't  tell.  I 
won't  tell." 

"No,  you  must  not  tell,  unless  you  want  to 
tell  just  me.  Do  you  want  to  tell  me?" 

"I  wish  I  could  tell  you.  You  have  been  so 
good  to  me,  and  you  are  going  to  marry  Drury. 
Drury  and  his  wife  ought  to  know.  But  that 
would  be  giving  the  whole  thing  away,  and  it 
was  wrong.  I  couldn't  help  it,  could  I  ?  He  made 
me  do  it. .  Then,  I  got  to  loving  the  baby  as 
well  as  if  he  was  my  own,  and  I  did  not  want 
to  give  him  up.  He  was  so  sweet,  and  he  was 
just  the  same  age  as  my  baby,  too.  No,  I  won't 
tell.  I  musn't." 

"That  is  right;  you  musn't  tell  anybody  but 
me,"  Dixie  managed  to  say. 

She  was  breathing  hard,  for  she  could  gather 
from  what  the  semi-delirious  woman  had  already 
said  that  there  was  some  mystery  about  to  be  un- 
folded. Instinctively,  she  knew,  also  that  it  con- 
cerned the  parentage  of  the  man  she  loved.  Her 
wits  were  active  and  she  determined  to  use^them 
to  get  at  the  truth  this  woman  knew ;  for,  if  she 
did  not  learn  the  facts  now,  they  might  never 
be  known. 


196  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"And  your  baby  died,  did  it?"  she  asked. 

"Died?  No,  my  baby  was  drowned.  Didn't  you 
see  it  float  down  in  the  muddy  water.  I  tried  to 
get  it,  but  they  wouldn't  let  me.  And  the  fire 
was  so  hot  it  blistered  my  face.  Then  I  caught 
hold  of  the  rope,  and  there  he  came  into  my  arms 
just  as  if  the  angels  put  him  there.  His  trunk 
was  carried  ashore,  too.  Weren't  the  little 
dresses  pretty?  And  that  one  with  the  hand-em- 
broidery was  the  one  I  had  been  watching  all 
the  way  up  the  river,  and  wishing  I  had  it  for 
my  baby.  She  was  such  a  grand  lady." 

Suddenly  she  broke  off  and  began  sobbing,  and 
talking  incoherently.  Dixie  tried  to  soothe  her, 
and  get  her  to  tell  her  more.  She  called  for  Dr. 
Patterson  over  the  telephone ;  but  he  had  gone  on 
a  long  trip  to  consult  with  another  doctor;  so 
she  renewed  her  efforts  to  get  the  whole  story 
from  Mrs.  Patterson.  The  fever  was  very  high 
and  the  patient  was  worse  than  she  had  ever 
been.  Dixie  bathed  her  until  the  fever  was  cooled, 
and  then  encouraged  her  to  talk  about  her  baby. 

"So  you  took  the  trunk,  and  Drury,  and  kept 
them  instead  of  your  baby,  did  you?" 

"Who  told  you  that?  John  Patterson  would  be 
mad  if  he  knew  some  one  had  told  that.  But  I 
didn't  tell  it,  did  I?" 

"No,  you  did  not  tell  it;  I  just  know  it.  Where 
did  you  go  then?" 

"We  went  to  New  Orleans,  and  then  to  Cali- 
fornia; but  she  never  did  get  my  baby.  Don't 
let  them  get  my  b^by  while  I  am  gone." 

"No,  they  shall  not  get  your  baby.    You  know 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  197 

your  baby  was  drowned,  and  you  found  Drury 
and  took  him  to  be  your  baby.  Was  his  mother 
drowned  ?" 

"Yes,  I  went  to  the  funeral,  to  be  sure.  His 
father  was  there  by  the  grave,  and  I  was  afraid 
of  him ;  but  John  said  he  would  not  let  him  get 
the  baby.  Then,  we  ran  away." 

"And  the  boat  burned  while  you  were  on  it." 

"No,  it  was  not  a  boat.  Let  me  see — all  right, 
John,  I  won't  tell  him.  Please  don't.  Oh,  save 
me !  save  me !" 

Thus,  bit  by  bit,  the  faithful  nurse  got  the 
story  as  far  as  the  failing  mind  of  the  invalid 
could  tell  it.  Her  lapses  of  memory  became  more 
frequent,  and  her  delirium  soon  became  hysteria ; 
that,  in  its  turn,  quickly  developed  mania.  About 
five  o'clock,  she  tried  to  sit  up  in  the  bed,  and 
cried  and  talked  incoherently.  Finally,  she  point- 
ed at  an  old  desk,  she  had  clung  to  through 
the  years,  and  cried : 

"Bring  me  that  paper." 

"What  paper?"  asked  Dixie. 

"Long  paper  .  .  .  drawer." 

She  fell  back  on  the  pillows  in  »a  stupor,  and 
Dixie  was  still  working  to  restore  her  when 
Drury  came  in.  She  sank  rapidly,  and  never  re- 
gained consciousness.  She  murmured  an  occa- 
sional word,  but  they  could  not  catch  what  she 
was  saying. 

Friends  came  in  to  watch  with  them,  and  Dixie 
could  not  bring  herself  to  tell  Drury  of  the  story 
she  had  gathered  while  the  woman  who  had 
been  a  mother  to  him  lay  dying  like  that.  It 


198  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

seemed  to  him  that  everything  he  had  to  cling 
to  was  leaving  him.  He  loved  Dixie  Miller,  but 
he  could  never  marry  her.  He  loved  his  pro- 
fession, but  he  would  never  have  a  home  again, 
and  his  home  had  meant  so  much  to  him.  Mrs. 
Patterson  had  cared  for  him  and  been  tender  to 
him,  even  though  she  had  not  been  a  helpful 
companion  during  his  years  of  study. 

Dixie  stole  up-stairs  and  sat  down  in  her 
room  to  think  it  all  out.  If  the  story  she  had 
gathered  in  fragments  from  the  dying  woman 
'was  true,  Drury  Patterson  was  not  the  child  of 
a  drunkard.  The  nervous  strain  had  been  al- 
most too  much  for  her,  and  she  threw  herself 
on  the  bed  and  cried.  It  was  almost  too  good 
to  be  true.  Then,  she  thought  of  the  paper  Mrs. 
Patterson  had  called  for.  However,  it  would  be 
time  enough  to  look  for  that  after  she  had  told 
Dr.  Patterson  what  she  had  learned. 

Lower  and  lower  ebbed  the  tide  of  life  in  the 
body  of  the  woman  who  had  given  to  Drury 
Patterson  the  best  that  was  in  her.  She  went 
quietly  to  sleep,  and  Drury  could  not  help  con- 
trasting her  death  with  that  of  her  dissipated 
husband.  It  was  Jim  Miller  who  lifted  him  from 
beside  the  bed  and  led  him  out  on  the  lawn, 
where  he  consoled  him  with  kind  words  and  manly 
sympathy. 

"Mr.  Miller,"  said  the  bereaved  young  man, 
"you  have  been  more  of  a  father  to  me  than  my 
own  father  was.  He  was  kind  in  his  way;  but 
he  never  did  give  me  his  confidence,  nor  allowed 
me  to  give  him  mine.  Mother  was  gentle  and 
kind  to  me  always.  She  told  me,  often,  that  she 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  19s» 

wanted  me  to  be  a  fine  gentleman — finer  than 
any  of  the  Pattersons.  She  has  always  acted  very 
peculiarly  about  me,  and,  somehow,  made  me  feel 
that  there  was  a  mystery  in  the  family  that  I 
ought  to  know  about.  You  are  an  old  resident 
here,  and  you  ought  to  know  something  about 
my  family." 

"But  I  do  not,  Drury.  I  knew  your  father  be- 
fore he  went  to  Georgia  to  visit  some  of  his  rela- 
tives ;  but  he  did  not  return  here  until  you  were 
about  twelve  years  old.  During  that  interval, 
his  parents  died  and  left  him  the  place  where 
you  were  raised.  I  am  sure  your  supposed  mys- 
tery was  only  a  fancy  of  your  mother's." 

"Perhaps  you  are  right;  I  wish  I  knew." 

Dr.  McConnell  was  also  a  great  mainstay  to 
his  young  partner  in  this  dark  hour.  He  cheered 
him,  and  counseled  him  as  a  father.  Mr.  Harris, 
too,  showed  his  sympathy  and  friendship  by  ask- 
ing the  privilege  of  taking  charge  of  affairs  until 
the  funeral  should  be  over.  Drury  accepted  his 
kind  offer,  and  never  regretted  it. 

The  funeral  was  beautiful  and  the  concourse 
of  people  proved  the  popularity  of  the  bereaved 
son.  The  floral  offerings  were  many  and  unique. 
If  such  tokens  can  soften  grief,  Dr.  Patterson 
had  balm  enough  to  cure  his  wounded  spirit  very 
soon.  Marvin  Harris  sent  the  most  expensive 
design,  a  Gothic  harp  with  the  word,  "Mother," 
on  the  base.  Dixie's  offering  was  a  simple 
little  bouquet  of  lilies-of-the-valley.  Kind  hands 
had  covered  John  Patterson's  grave  with  flowers, 
and  Drury  knew  that  his  place  in  the  hearts  of 
the  people  was  secure. 


200  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

,  CHAPTER  XIX. 

"NOT  UNTIL  I  FIND  OUT." 

It  would  have  been  a  simple  matter  for  Dixie 
Miller  to  have  told  Drury  Patterson  of  her  exper- 
ience with  Mrs.  Patterson  if  she  could  have  done 
so  immediately.  Circumstances  prevented  it, 
and  the  longer  the  task  was  delayed,  the  more 
difficult  it  became.  She  realized  that  it  would  not 
do  to  disturb  his  mind  with  it  while  she  was 
alive,  and,  when  the  woman  was  dead,  the  nurse 
could  not  bring  herself  to  unfold  a  problematic 
story  that  might  intrude  on  the  sacredness  of  the 
funeral.  Then,  too,  this  woman  had  been  a 
mother  to  him;  and  he  owed  her  all  the  respect 
he  was  showing,  for  his  bereavement  was  as  real 
as  though  she  was  his  mother  in  fact. 

The  task  gew  more  delicate  with  the  lapse  of 
time,  and  the  events  that  were  happening  so 
rapidly.  For  several  days  after  the  funeral,  Dr. 
Patterson  was  out  of  town  by  the  advice  of  Dr. 
McConnell,  and,  when  he  returned,  Dixie  failed 
to  get  him  over  the  telephone  for  some  reason. 
At  last,  she  wrote  him  a  note,  asking  him  to  call 
to  see  her  at  his  earliest  convenience.  He  came 
to  her  father's  home  that  night;  but  his  conver- 
sation was  about  his  mother,  and  it  was  evident 
he  had  placed  her  on  a  pedestal  in  his  memory 
from  which  Dixie  could  scarcely  bring  herself 
to  cast  her.  She  was  afraid,  also,  that  he  might 
think  she  had  a  selfish  motive  in  trying  to  dis- 
prove his  kinship  to  the  Pattersons.  Gradually, 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  201 

however,  she  turned  the  conversation  to  make  her 
duty  easier  of  performance. 

"Did  your  mother  ever  hint  at  a  burden  on  her 
mind  that  was  crushing  her  and  sapping  her 
health,  Drury?" 

"Yes,  Dixie,  and  I  have  wanted  to  ask  you  if 
she  said  anything  to  you  during  her  illness  that 
would  throw  light  on  her  trouble?" 

"She  talked  a  great  deal,  that  last  afternoon, 
after  you  left.  It  was  so  incoherent,  though,  that 
I  scarcely  know  what  to  make  of  it.  I  am  going 
to  ask  you  a  serious  question,  Drury,  and  one 
that  may  shock  you ;  but  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  ask 
it  frankly:  did  it  ever  occur  to  you,  or  have  you 
ever  had  reason  to  doubt,  that  you  were  John 
Patterson's  child?  Wait,  dear."  She  took  his 
hand  in  both  of  hers.  "You  know  how  it  frequent- 
ly happens  that  a  child  dies  in  infancy,  and  the 
parents  adopt  a  child  to  take  its  place." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Dixie?  Did  she  tell  you 
that?" 

"No,  not  just  that.  Please  don't  get  excited. 
She  did  not  really  tell  me  anything;  but  she  talked 
in  her  delirium,  and,  if  what  she  said  had  any 
foundation  in  fact,  I  gathered  that  she  and  Mr. 
Patterson  were  on  a  boat  with  their  baby;  there 
must  have  been  some  kind  of  an  accident,  and  her 
baby  was  drowned.  She  was  rescued  with  you 
in  her  arms,  and  they  kidnapped  you,  and  raised 
you  as  their  own  baby.  She  said  she  saw  the 
lady — your  mother,  I  take  it — buried,  and  your 
father  was  at  the  grave.  Then,  she  and  Mr.  Pat- 
terson went  to  New  Orleans,  and  finally,  to  Cali- 


202  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

fornia.  Where  were  you  w,hen  you  can  first 
remember : 

"O,  I  do  not  know.  I  remember  long  trips  on 
the  cars,  and  one  trip  on  a  ship.  It  must  have 
been  Cuba  that  we  visited  when  I  was  five  or 
six  years  old.  Then,  we  lived  in  Georgia  when 
we  got  the  message  that  the  grandparents  were 
dead ;  but  there  was  no  mystery  in  that,  for  it 
was  the  old  home  of  the  Pattersons.  If  I  was 
not  John  Patterson's  child,  nobody  there  knew 
it,  I  am  sure.  Tell  me  all  she  said  that  day." 

She  told  him  all  that  had  happened,  and  he 
told  her  of  the  remarks  Mrs.  Patterson  had  made 
to  him  the  day  Mr.  Patterson  died,  and  what  she 
had  said  in  her  delirium  before  Dixie  had  entered 
the  room. 

"O,  I  had  not  thought  of  it  before;  but  Father 
said  something  like  that  when  he  way  dying. 
Let's  see,  what  were  his  exact  words?  I  have  it ! 
He  said:  'I  had  to  do  it.  All  the  devils  were 
pulling  at  me,  and  one  stuck  out  his  tongue  and 
cursed  me.  He  made  me  do  it.  Go  away,  go 
away,  and  let  me  get  on  the  boat.  There  he  is ! 
He  is  going  to  choke  me.  There  they  all  come. 
Fire !  Fire !'  Before  that,  he  yelled  at  me  to  go 
away,  and  said  that  I  looked  like  'he'  did  the 
night  of  the  fire.  They  would  not  both  talk  of  a 
'boat,'  and  'fire,'  and  act  so  strangely,  without 
some  experience  that  had  impressed  their  sub- 
conscious minds,  causing  them  to  do  it." 

"I  have  not  told  you  her  last  words,  yet.  She 
sat  up  in  the  bed  and  told  me  to  bring  her  the 
paper.  L  asked  her  what  paper,  and  she  replied 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  203 

'long  paper.'  Then,  there  were  several  mumbled 
words  I  could  not  understand.  She  pointed  to 
the  desk,  and  ended  with  the  word,  'drawer'.  I 
am  sure  there  is  a  paper  in  that  desk  that  will 
throw  light  on  the  subject." 

Drury  leaped  to  his  feet  and  took  her  arm, 
pulling  her  up  from  her  chair. 

"Come,  let  us  go  to  my  cottage  and  hunt  for 
that  paper,  right  now." 

"That  would  not  do,  Drury.  Can't  you  see 
it  would  not  do,  tonight?" 

"We  will  take  your  father  along.  Go  ask  him  to 
come  here." 

She  flew  to  the  sitting-room,  and  soon  had  her 
father  in  the  parlor,  where  they  explained  the 
whole  matter  to  him  as  quickly  as  possible.  Jim 
Miller  was  in  the  midst  of  his  second  campaign, 
and  he  was  very  tired ;  but  he  readily  consented 
to  go  with  them  to  investigate  this  new-found 
hope  that  would  mean  so  much  to  his  own  child. 

Dr.  Patterson  drove  his  machine  furiously 
through  the  road  leading  to  town,  and  they  were 
soon  in  the  room  where  Mrs.  Patterson  had 
died.  The  desk  was  an  old-fashioned  affair  that 
she  had  told  Drury  was  made  by  her  father,  who 
was  a  cabinet-maker.  The  key  was  in  the  lock, 
and  Drury  quickly  opened  the  top,  and  the  three 
drawers.  There  were  many  papers  and  letters  in 
the  drawers,  and  it  took  a  long  time  to  go 
through  them.  None  of  them  had  anything  to  do 
with  the  matter  in  hand,  unless  it  was  an  occa- 
sional reference  in  some  letters  from  a  corre- 
spondent who  wrote  a  very  good  hand,  and  signed 


804  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

his  name,  "Basil."  They  gave  up  the  search,  and 
Drury  was  about  to  close  the  desk  when  he  saw 
an  envelope  that  had  something  in  it.  It  was 
unsealed  and  plain.  He  took  out  the  letter  that 
was  enclosed,  and  read  it.  It  began,  "Dear 
Brother,"  and  referred  to  receiving  his  letter. 
Then,  it  went  on:  "I  feel  my  strength  leaving 
me,  and  sometimes  my  mind  is  all  in  a  muddle. 
I  am  glad  I  told  you  about  my  trouble,  for  it 
seems  that  since  John  died  I  will  go  crazy  think- 
ing about  it  all.  I  am  afraid  I  will  die  with  this 
thing  haunting  me  down  to  the  grave.  I  wish 
I  could  tell  Drury  all  about  it,  but  I  know  he 
would  hate  me,  and  that  would  be  the  worst  pun- 
ishment that  could  come  to  me.  Oh,  I  just  can't 
think  of  his  ever  knowing  that  he  is  not  my 
child." 

The  letter  fell  from  Drury's  ringers,  and  he 
staggered  back  to  a  chair,  and  dropped  into  it. 

"My  God!"  he  cried,  "Who  am  I?  A  nameless 
waif  cast  up  by  the  muddy  waters  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi. A  man  without  a  name.  O,  my  good 
friend  Miller,  what  shall  I  do?  It  was  bad 
enough  to  be  the  child  of  a  drunkard,  but  to  be 
a  nameless  man ;  a  thing  of  destiny,  not  knowing 
whence  I  came.  I  have  wept  over  the  graves  of 
parents  who  were  no  parents.  I  loved  them,  and 
now  I  discover  them  to  be  criminals,  selfish 
criminals,  .who  robbed  a  drowned  mother  of  her 
child,  stole  a  babe  away  from  its  father,  and  be- 
queathed me  nothing  except  the  name  of  a  drunk- 
ard, all  to  satisfy  themselves,  and  substitute  me 
for  the  babe  they  lost  that  terrible  day  or  night." 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  205 

Father  and  daughter  tried  to  comfort  him ;  but 
his  grief  must  run  its  course.  When  Jim  Miller 
made  some  suggestions  about  following  up  the 
slender  clew  that  might  lead  to  the  discovery  of 
his  parentage,  he  waved  it  aside. 

"Leave  me  here  for  the  night,  dear  friend.  I 
will  come  to  you  in  the  morning,  if  I  may,  and 
will  ask  you  to  help  me  to  formulate  some  plans. 
For  the  present,  I  must  think." 

"Of  course,  you  may  come  to  me,  and  I  will 
not  spare  time  nor  money  to  help  you  learn  the 
truth.  Your  sun  has  not  gone  down,  my  boy. 
The  morning  will  bring  you  clearer  vision,  and 
you  may  look  back  to  this  as  the  best  day  that 
has  ever  come  into  your  life." 

Dixie  put  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  gave 
him  her  lips. 

"I  believe  in  you,  Drury,  and,  like  Father,  I  am 
sure  you  will  some  day  thank  God  for  finding 
that  letter.  If  it  gives  you  the  inheritance  you 
have  longed  for,  it  will  be  worth  while,  won't  it, 
dear?" 

"Yes,  yes,  and  that  would  mean  that  I  could 
have  you,  Dixie!  O  God,  grant  that  it  may  be 
so." 

Jim  Miller  turned  back  to  them  and  put  his 
arms  about  them.  His  tears  mingled  with  theirs, 
and,  for  some  minutes,  he  stood  with  them  thus. 

"God  bless  you,  my  children.  May  your  hopes 
be  realized  in  the  very  near  future.  Be  brave, 
my  boy,  and  hope  for  the  best  until  you  know  the 
facts."  He  kissed  them  both,  and  left  them  for  a 
time. 


206  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Although  the  cup  was  bitter,  there  was  so 
much  sweetness  mingled  with  it  that  Drury  was 
glad  that  he  had  drunk  it.  Dixie  Miller's  love 
and  confidence  were  worth  all  that  he  suffered, 
and  her  bright  prophecies  seemed  so  reasonable 
that  he  took  courage,  and  made  her  many  prom- 
ises. Through  the  following  year,  this  night  was 
his  guiding  star,  and  the  memory  is  sweet  to 
him  today. 

At  their  conference  the  next  morning,  it  was 
decided  that  Drury  should  go  to  Cromwell, 
Georgia,  and  try  to  locate  Mrs.  Patterson's  bro- 
ther, Basil.  She  had  mentioned  this  brother  to 
Drury,  but  he  had  never  seen  him.  Indeed,  he 
had  never  met  any  of  her  relatives.  His  plan  was 
to  visit  the  Pattersons  and  ask  if  they  knew 
where  he  could  find  her  relatives,  and  what  their 
names  were.  He  did  not  remember  to  have  ever 
heard  what  her  maiden  name  was.  On  one  oc- 
casion, he  had  asked  her,  and  she  had  told  him 
that  there  were  reasons  why  she  preferred  not 
to  tell  him  about  her  people  just  then.  She  was 
always  fond  of  telling  incidents  in  her  early 
home-life;  but  she  never  mentioned  more  than 
the  given  names  of  her  one  sister  and  one 
brother. 

At  Cromwell,  Drury  was  received  with  joy.  He 
found  the  Pattersons  better  people  than  he  had 
expected,  and  they  were  well-to-do.  It  was  hard 
for  him  to  tell  the  leading  man  among  them— a 
younger  brother  of  John's— what  his  mission 
was.  He  told  this  man,  Dick  Patterson,  the 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  207 

whole  story,  however,  and  showed  him  the 
letters  he  had  brought  with  him. 

"I  am  surprised  beyond  measure,"  said  Mr. 
Patterson,  "Yet  I  am  compelled  to  admit  the 
conclusions  to  which  you  have  come.  Brother 
John  married  somewhere  in  Mississippi.  We  did 
not  know  his  wife's  people;  but  she  was  al- 
ways a  ladylike  woman,  and  we  accepted  her 
without  a  question.  Surely,  she  came  of  a  good 
family.  I  heard,  too,  of  the  accident  to  the  boat; 
but  John  would  never  talk  about  that  more  than 
to  say  that  he  and  his  wife  got  off  with  you  be- 
fore there  was  any  danger.  He  was  a  very 
peculiar  man,  and  none  of  us  ever  understood 
him.  It  would  be  just  like  him  to  do  as  you 
have  reason  to  believe  they  did.  I  do  not 
remember  the  name  of  the  boat,  nor  where  the 
accident  took  place ;  somewhere  below  Memphis, 
I  think." 

Drury  returned  to  Memphis  and  went  among 
the  river-men,  asking  them  about  such  an  acci- 
dent. The  laughed  at  him  when  he  could  not 
give  the  name  of  the  boat,  nor  the  date  of  the 
supposed  accident. 

"Why,  sir,"  said  an  old  captain,  "there  have 
been  so  many  accidents  like  that,  you  will  have 
a  hard  time  finding  out  about  it  unless  you  know 
the  name  of  the  boat,  the  date  of  the  accident,  or 
the  place  where  it  happened." 

He  saw  how  futile  his  search  would  be  with- 
out more  data  than  he  had,  and  he  was  wasting 
time.  He  was  sitting  in  the  hotel  reading  the 
morning  paper  when  his  eye  caught  the  adver- 


208  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

tisement  of  a  detective  agency.  The  very  name, 
"detective,"  was  repulsive  to  him ;  but  he  needed 
some  one  to  work  out  his  problems  who  was  ex- 
pert in  such  matters,  and  he  decided  to  call  up 
the  manager  and  have  him  come  to  the  hotel 
for  an  interview.  This  he  did,  and  was  so  im- 
pressed with  the  man,  and  his  dignity  and  quiet 
manners,  that  he  employed  him  then  and  there  to 
locate  the  man,  Basil,  and  to  get  all  the  evidence 
possible  in  regard  to  such  a  steamboat  accident 
as  must  have  taken  place  twenty-five  years  be- 
fore. 

Jim  Miller's  disappointment  was  keen  when 
Drury  returned  to  Tamalpias  with  such  meager 
results.  He  assured  the  young  man,  however, 
that  he  acted  wisely  in  employing  competent 
men  to  take  up  the  quest.  Not  a  word  of  all  that 
had  transpired  was  known  to  any  one  in  the 
town  except  the  Millers  and  Dr.  McConnell.  So  Dr. 
Patterson  took  up  his  work  as  though  nothing 
had  happened.  He  and  Dixie  spent  much  time 
in  each  other's  company,  and  she  so  inspired  and 
cheered  him  that  he  worked  harder  and  more  ef- 
fectively than  he  had  ever  done  before.  There 
was  a  change  taking  place  in  her  that  she  dis- 
covered before  he  did,  and  she  fought  against 
it,  too.  She  was  rebellious  over  the  fate  circum- 
stances had  consigned  them  to,  and  her  rebel' 
lion  reached  the  point  of  expression  one  cool 
evening  as  they  were  driving  down  the  river 
road. 

"Drury,  it  was  my  father  and  I  that  decided 
that  we  must  never  marry,"  she  said,  "but,  now 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  209 

that  we  know  you  are  not  the  child  of  John  Pat- 
terson, why  should  we  have  to  know  just  whose 
child  you  are,  before  we  do  marry?  We  will 
likely  never  know,  and  I  think  it  is  foolish  to 
deny  ourselves  the  happiness  in  store  for  us 
just  because  you  are  the  victim  of  an  accident 
and  a  crime  that  deprives  you  of  the  name  of 
your  real  parents." 

"You  make  it  hard  for  me,  Dixie.  I  am  try- 
ing to  fight  the  battle  like  a  real  man,  "and  I 
want  you  to  help  me." 

"But  isn't  it  an  imaginary  battle?" 

"It  may  prove  to  be  such;  but,  for  the  pres- 
ent, it  is  real — only  God  knows  how  real." 

"It  is  cruel !  No  other  man  and  woman  in  the 
world  were  ever  called  on  to  sacrifice  so  much  for 
so  little.  What  do  I  care  about  the  name  you 
are  known  by?  You  are  as  clean  and  good  as 
any  man  who  walks  the  earth  today,  and  better 
than  hundreds  who  can  trace  their  ancestry 
through  countless  generations.  I  love  you,  and 
I  will  marry  you  tomorrow  and  take  the  conse- 
quences." 

"Is  that  in  accordance  with  the  promise  you 
made  to  your  father?" 

Her  face  went  white  as  she  recalled  that 
promise,  but  she  rallied  in  a  moment. 

"That  promise  was  made  under  the  impression 
that  you  were  certainly  the  child  of  a  drunkard. 
Let  me  ask  you,  Drury :  if  it  was  to  develop  that 
I  am  not  the  daughter  of  Senator  Miller,  would 
you  marry  me,  granted  that  your  lineage  was  all 
right?" 


210  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"That  is  an  unfair  question,  Dixie.  Women 
are  so  much  purer  than  men." 

"Not  by  inheritance.  If  my  father  was  a  profli- 
gate, my  child  would  inherit  his  appetites  and  pas- 
sions as  easily  through  me  as  my  brother's  child 
would  through  him." 

"You  have  the  best  of  that  argument.  But 
listen,  sweetheart,  how  are  we  to  know  but  that  I 
have  inherited  worse  than  alcoholism  from  my 
parents?  Oh,  how  gladly  I  would  lead  you  to 
the  altar  tomorrow  if  I  dared ;  but  I  can  not,  I 
•can  not.  I  would  not  present  to  your  father  a  de- 
formed child,  nor  cause  another  of  his  daughters 

to  go  to  the  operating  table Why,  I  would 

rather  die  tonight  than  to  run  the  risk.  No, 
Dixie,  I  love  you  too  dearly  to  run  the  slightest 
risk  of  destroying  your  health,  or  bringing  sad- 
ness into  your  life,  by  accepting  what  would  be 
the  greatest  joy  that  any  man  ever  experienced 
at  a  matrimonial  altar.  We  have  been  true  to 
our  ideals  for  a  few  years,  let  us  go  on  until 
Heaven  smiles  upon  us,  and  gives  us  the  right 
to  marry  according  to  the  teaching  we  have  both 
received  and  know  to  be  correct." 

"Forgive  me,  darling,  for  my  rashness.  I  am 
fully  recovered,  and  see  that  you  are  right.  That 
is  the  reason  I  love  you  so.  You  are  the  grandest 
and  best  man  that  lives.  I  am  a  better  woman 
for  this  hour  with  you.  You  are  strong:  so 
strong,  and  I  have  derived  strength  from  you." 

"May  I  tell  you  now,  dear,  that  you  have  en- 
deared yourself  to  me  more  today  than  ever  be- 
fore ?" 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  211 

"I  cannot  see  how." 

"By  revealing  your  feminine  nature.  I  was 
beginning  to  think  that  you  were  almost  too 
practical  in  regard  to  our  affairs.  Sometimes,  I 
have  looked  on  you  as  a  sort  of  angel,  too 
good  to  feel  as  deeply  as  a  normal  woman;  at 
other  times,  you  have  seemed  as  practical  as  a 
doctor  needs  be.  It  is  I  who  must  ask  forgiveness." 

"How  noble  you  are!  I  am  glad  to  be  con- 
quered like  this  by  the  man  I  love.  If  I  revealed 
feminine  nature,  you  have  shown  that,  with  all 
your  gentleness,  you  are  a  man.  And  I  can  pay 
you  no  higher  compliment  than  to  say  that  you 
are  on  even  a  higher  pinnacle  than  the  Man  at 
the  House  of  Healing.  I  have  prayed  that  you 
might  be  like  him,  and  now  you  are,  and  more 
than  he  is ;  for  who-  knows  what  he  would  do 
under  such  circumstances  as  you  have  had  to 
face?" 

"There,  girlie,  you  will  turn  my  head  pretty 
soon,  so  I  suspect  we  had  better  drive  back  out 
of  our  paradise.  We  understand  each  other  now, 
and  we  shall  give  ourselves  to  our  work  with  re- 
newed vigor.  Perhaps  it  will  not  be  long  until 
the  clouds  will  clear  away,  and  we  shall  appreciate 
the  sunshine  the  more  that  we  have  been  in  the 
gloom." 

The  detectives  reported  locating  the  family  of 
Mrs.  Patterson.  They  were  a  fine  family  of 
Mississippi  people ;  but  they  knew  nothing  of  the 
exchange  of  babies.  Basil  Warren  had  died  re- 
cently, and  the  others  had  not  been  in  the  confi- 


212  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

dence  of  Ellen,  as  they  called  Mrs.  Patterson. 
From  these  relatives,  however,  the  detectives 
had  learned  the  date  of  her  marriage  to  John 
Patterson,  and  the  date  of  the  birth  of  their  baby. 
By  this,  they  had  figured  the  time  of  the  sup- 
posed accident,  and  had  located  three  different 
incidents,  either  of  which  might  have  been  the 
one  referred  to.  One  had  been  an  excursion  boat, 
and  the  passengers  had  been  required  to  register. 
In  the  other  two  cases,  the  registers  had  been 
lost.  They  were  still  at  work  on  the  case,  and 
hoped  to  find  out  more  that  would  be  of  value  to 
the  young  physician. 

Dr.  Patterson  locked  up  his  cottage  and  took 
rooms  at  the  Don  Pedro  hotel.  He  could  not 
keep  satisfactory  servants,  and  he  did  not  want 
to  rent  the  cottage  o<ut;  so  he  had  the  place 
cared  for  by  his  negro  yard-man.  It  was  fre- 
quently rumored  that  he  and  Dixie  Miller  were 
married  on  certain  occasions ;  but  the  cottage 
remained  closed,  and  Dixie  went  back  to  the 
House  of  Healing. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  213 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   SECOND   CAMPAIGN. 

While  the  events  recorded  in  the  preceding 
chapters  were  happening,  Jim  Miller  had  been 
pushing  the  matters  pertaining  to  his  revenge. 
His  first  term  in  the  State  Senate  did  little  more 
than  to  give  him  the  opportunity  to  get  a 
standing  in  politics,  and  to  learn  the  rules  of  the 
game.  He  was  astonished  to  find  that  every- 
thing was  done  sub  rosa.  Many  of  his  colleagues 
made  speeches  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate  for  the 
benefit  of  the  galleries,  and  to  be  recorded  in  the 
proceedings  and  the  daily  press,  then,  privately 
agreed  to  the  passage  of  the  very  bills  they  had 
spoken  against. 

Before  his  first  session  was  nearly  finished, 
Senator  Miller  decided  that  he  must  become  a 
prominent  figure  in  the  politics  of  the  whole 
State  if  he  was  to  achieve  anything  worth  while 
in  the  way  of  his  great  purpose.  After  a  close 
study  of  the  situation,  and  of  the  tactics  of  the 
leaders,  he  decided  on  a  policy  of  publicity  and 
frankness  with  the  public  through  the  press.  He 
knew  this  would  mean  a  fight  with  the  "ring" 
from  the  Governor  down ;  but  he  was  willing  to 
risk  everything  for  the  cause  he  was  espousing, 
and  he  had  the  pleasure  of  knowing  also  that, 
if  he  did  not  win  his  personal  battle,  he  would  be 
giving  the  public  an  education  that  would  be 
worth  almost  as  much  as  the  passage  of  +he 


214  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

laws  he  was  advocating.  The  more  he  pondered 
it,  the  more  settled  he  became  in  the  conviction 
that  Maury  Tallman  had  proposed  the  best 
remedy — education  through  the  public  schools. 

Seeing  the  announcement  of  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  the  "Mothers'  Congress,"  he  attended  its 
sessions,  and  was  delighted  to  know  that  the 
public  conscience  was  being  aroused.  He  was 
invited  to  speak  on  the  question  of  Social  Purity, 
and  the  great  throng  of  mothers  and  educators 
gave  him  such  applause  that  he  grew  more  elo- 
quent than  he  ever  thought  he  could  be.  When 
his  address  was  finished,  they  gave  him  an  ova- 
tion that  meant  more  than  he  then  knew. 
Thereafter,  he  was  called  on  for  addresses  before 
the  Child  Welfare  League  of  America,  The 
National  Health  Society,  The  Purity  League  and 
the  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union.  He 
was  in  such  demand  for  this  kind  of  work  that 
he  feared  his  political  fences  would  suffer  decay. 
He  was  recompensed,  however,  by  contact  with 
great  men  and  women  who  were  in  the  fight  with 
him,  and  he  had  access  to  a  store  of  knowledge 
and  facts  that  would  be  valuable  when  he  re- 
turned to  the  fight  in  the  Senate. 

Jack  Miller  had  returned  from  college  and  was 
ready  to  take  up  some  kind  of  work.  He  was 
immediately  attracted  to  the  thing  his  father 
was  doing,  and  attended  several  of  the  conven- 
tions and  meetings  his  father  addressed  on  the 
subject  of  the  Great  Black  Plague  of  America. 
He  wanted  to  take  part  in  the  fight  in  some  way. 

"All  right,  son,"  Senator  Miller  said,  "I  need 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  215 

a  secretary,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  serve 
me  in  that  capacity." 

"But  Father,  I  shall  want  to  make  some 
speeches  on  this  question  myself.  I  am  just 
boiling  over  to  speak  right  now.  Self-praise  is 
half-scandal ;  but  I  was  considered  quite  a  speaker 
in  college,  and  I  won  three  medals  in  oratory.  I 
surely  ought  to  be  able  to  speak  on  such  an  inspir- 
ing subject  as  this." 

"Son,  you  do  not  know  how  you  rejoice  my 
heart.  I  have  wondered  who  would  take  up  the 
fight  if  I  had  to  drop  out  before  it  is  won. 
Speak!  Yes,  you  shall  speak  as  much  as  you 
wish,  I  will  make  engagements  for  you." 

"I  am  glad  you  trust  me,  Father,  and  I  promise 
you  I  will  fight  the  battle  until  it  is  won  or  I  die." 

Senator  Miller's  cup  was  full  as  he  told  his 
wife  of  this  interview.  He  felt  the  tingle  of 
victory  in  his  veins.  He  had  lost  a  daughter  and 
a  son-in-law  to  the  Monster;  but  he  now  had  a 
son  and  a  daughter  enlisted  in  his  fight  for  re- 
venge, and  his  wife  and  Jessie  were  helpers,  also. 
Victory  seemed  so  much  nearer  than  ever  before, 
and  the  wine  in  his  cup  was  sweet. 

There  had  been  a  spirit  of  rivalry  between 
Tamalpias  and  Kimberly  ever  since  the  former 
had  secured  the  railroad.  Later,  the  county-seat 
had  been  removed  to  Tamalpias,  and  later  still, 
saloons  had  been  voted  out  of  the  beautiful 
valley  town.  This  state  of  affairs  caused  the 
natural  drifting  of  the  better  class  of  people  to 
Tamalpias,  and  of  the  drinking,  rowdy  element 
to  Kimberly.  Bill  Colton  moved  to  Kimberly 


216  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

soon  after  his  defeat  by  Jim  Miller.  He  knew 
that  he  was  out  of  the  running  for  all  time;  but 
he  hoped  to  be  recognized  as  the  Boss  of  the 
district,  and  that  he  could  name  the  man  who 
should  make  the  second  race  aganst  Senator 
Miller.  In  this,  he  was  encouraged  by  the  same 
source  of  supplies  that  had  furnished  the  sinews 
of  war  in  the  first  campaign.  By  handing  out  a 
little  money  here  and  there,  he  managed  to  re- 
cruit his  forces,  and,  by  treating  to  drinks  and 
making  barroom  talks,  he  worked  up  much  senti- 
ment against  Jim  Miller.  When  the  time  seemed 
propitious,  he  began  to  mention  an  ex-judge  of 
an  adjoining  county  as  the  only  man  who  could 
beat  the  man  who  was  trying  to  take  away  their 
"personal  liberty."  None  of  the  gangsters  knew 
that  he  had  been  directed  by  the  "bureau"  that 
was  furnishing  him  money  to  see  to  it  that  Judge 
Barr  was  nominated  and  elected.  They  did  not 
•care  who  was  elected,  so  their  enemy  was  de- 
feated. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the  rivalry  of  towns 
and  counties  was  introduced  in  order  to  befog 
the  situation  and  divert  the  people  from  the  real 
issue.  Jim  Miller  knew  that  prejudice  and  sec- 
tional factions  are  hard  to  overcome,  and  he 
made  speeches  in  which  he  tried  to  convince  his 
hearers  that  his  fight  was  not  for  any  town  or 
county,  but  for  all  humanity.  It  remained  for 
Jack  Miller,  however,  to  plan  the  organization 
of  parents  and  teachers  into  clubs  for  the  study 
of  social  and  educational  problems.  At  first,  the 
men  would  have  little  to  do  with  the  clubs ;  but, 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  217 

when  their  wives  began  to  tell  them  of  the  papers 
that  were  being  read,  and  the  books  that  were 
being  reviewed  at  the  meetings,  they  became 
interested.  Within  thirty  days,  the  whole  dis- 
trict was  aflame  with  the  discussion  of  the  very 
problems  Jim  Miller  proposed  to  solve  by  the 
passage  of  certain  laws.  Once  they  got  a  glimpse 
of  the  real  facts,  these  clubs  called  for  more 
literature  on  the  subject,  and  Jack  saw  that  the 
right  kind  of  books  and  periodicals  were  placed 
into  the  hands  of  the  secretaries.  So  well  ana 
so  quietly  was  the  work  performed  that  Bill 
Colton's  crowd  did  not  understand  what  was 
going  on  until  the  whole  district  was  turning  to 
Senator  Miller  as  the  only  logical  candidate  to 
succeed  himself.  He  was  posted  on  the  question, 
and  his  ability  had  been  recognized  by  every 
national  organization  whose  purpose  was  the  up- 
lift of  the  race. 

Even  the  Senator,  himself,  did  not  recognize 
the  master-stroke  Jack  had  made  until  the  senti- 
ment had  reached  the  stage  that  made  his  elec- 
tion by  an  overwhelming  majority  a  foregone 
conclusion.  Others  recognized  it  before  he  did, 
and,  less  than  a  month  before  the  primary  elec- 
tion, a  committee  waited  on  Jack  and  asked  him 
to  become  a  candidate  for  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. The  proposition  was  so  sudden,  and 
of  such  import,  that  he  was  confused  for  a  little 
time.  He  asked  for  a  day  in  which  to  consider 
it,  and  his  request  was  granted.  His  father  sug- 
gested his  youth ;  but  they  remembered  that 
there  were  two  members  of  the  previous  legis- 


218  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

lature  who  were  younger.  It  was  finally  decided 
that  he  would  offer  for  the  place,  and  the  cam- 
paign began  at  once.  Not  a  new  campaign,  but 
an  intensified  interest  in  the  same  one. 

"Too  much  Miller,"  cried  the  opposition, 
"Why,  they  will  be  wanting  to  send  their  women 
to  the  Capitol  next.  We  must  not  allow  the 
whole  family  to  be  in  the  same  legislature.  Let 
the  boy  wait  till  the  old  man  gets  done  running." 

The  people  answered  that  this  was  a  race  for 
principles,  not  for  men ;  these  two  men  repre- 
sented principles,  and  they  were  able  to  defend 
those  principles.  What  matter  that  they  were 
father  and  son?  No  others  in  the  district  and 
county  were  candidates  on  this  platform,  and  the 
people  proposed  to  give  them  a  chance  to  pass 
the  laws  they  were  advocating.  No  greater  vic- 
tory was  ever  won  for  suffering  women  and 
children  than  that  which  Jim  Miller  and  his 
noble  son,  Jack,  won  over  the  forces  backed  by 
the  doctrine  of  "personal  liberty."  As  before, 
nomination  meant  election,  and  both  men  began 
to  get  ready  for  the  fight  that  would  take  place 
in  the  State  Capitol  the  following  winter. 

For  their  better  equipment  and  information, 
an  organization  of  a  local  club  was  effected.  Its 
membership  was  carefully  selected  from  among 
the  most  influential  and  intelligent  citizens.  The 
superintendent  of  the  city  schools,  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, was  chosen  president,  and  the  pastor  of  one 
of  the  churches  was  made  secretary.  The  meet- 
ings were  held  weekly  in  the  parlors  of  the  San 
Pedro  hotel.  Dr.  McConnell,  Mr.  Harris,  Mar- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  219 

vin  Harris,  Dr.  Patterson,  and  a  number  of 
others  united  in  the  work.  The  secretary  or- 
dered circulars,  booklets,  and  tracts  from  the 
different  societies  and  Boards  of  Health,  and  the 
members  were  assigned  subjects  to  write  or 
speak  on.  The  mistakes  in  solving  the  question 
were  carefully  noted,  and  the  doubts  of  author- 
ities in  regard  to  this  place  and  that  were  analyzed. 

The  gravest  doubts  expressed  by  students  and 
doctors,  concerned  Jim  Miller's  proposition  that 
every  applicant  for  license  to  wed  should  procure 
a  certificate  from  two  physicians  attesting  to  his 
physical  fitness  to  marry.  The  reasons  put  for- 
ward were  carefully  weighed,  and  debated  at 
length.  It  was  held  by  some  that  great  progress 
had  been  made  in  the  fight  against  tuberculosis 
by  publicity  concerning  the  disease,  and  that 
education  was  all  that  was  needed.  Jim  replied 
that  his  proposed  law  was  intended  to  afford 
relief  until  the  masses  could  be  educated. 

It  was  Mr.  Thompson  who  brought  forward 
the  idea  of  making  a  course  in  sanitary  and  moral 
prophylaxis,  and  the  hygiene  of  sex,  required  by 
law  in  the  State  Normal  schools,  and  that  no 
certificates  be  granted  to  teachers  who  did  not 
obtain  full  credits  in  such  courses.  This  propo- 
sition was  hailed  with  delight  by  the  club  as 
being  the  best  suggestion  yet  made.  Jack  Miller 
told  them  of  the  address  delivered  to  the  students 
of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  at  the  be- 
ginning of  each  collegiate  year  by  the  physician 
in  charge,  and  that  many  educational  institutions 


220  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

were  giving  lectures  and  short  courses  along 
these  lines  on  their  own  motion. 

Many  other  measures  were  brought  to  the  at- 
tention of  the  club  and  discussed  with  profit. 
Mr.  Thompson  suggested  that  the  organization 
be  made  permanent,  and  that  they  open  it  to 
membership  by  application,  admitting  both  sexes, 
and  widening  the  scope  of  its  investigations  and 
discussions  to  all  questions  of  public  health  and 
morals.  This  was  adopted,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  work  out  the  details  and  submit  a 
constitution  and  by-laws,  it  being  thoroughly 
understood  that  the  club  could  not  be  used  to 
further  the  personal  interest  of  any  person  in  a 
political  way. 

Dixie  Miller  came  home  in  time  to  become  an 
active  member  of  the  Tamalpias  Health  Club, 
and  she  was  a  valuable  addition.  Her  presence 
removed  the  timidity  of  some  who  had  hesitated 
to  join,  and  it  was  only  a  short  time  until  the 
membership  numbered  fifty.  Dr.  Patterson  was 
sent  East  to  attend  several  National  societies, 
and  to  make  further  personal  investigations  of 
these  important  subjects.  He  was  glad  to  go, 
as  he  was  anxious  to  go  deeper  into  the  doctrine 
of  heredity,  and  this  would  give  him  the  oppor- 
tunity to  interview  Dr.  Grady,  the  great  alienist. 

The  work  of  the  campaign  and  the  discussions 
in  the  Club  had  ripened  Jack  Miller  into  a  fluent 
speaker,  who  had  the  vigor  of  youth,  coupled 
with  an  exact  knowledge  of  the  matters  he 
wanted  to  bring  before  the  law-making  body  of 
his  State.  With  the  father  working  in  the  Senate 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  221 

and  the  son  in  the  House,  their  bills  uniform,  and 
acting  in  unison,  they  would  have  a  mighty  ad- 
vantage over  their  opponents.  Both  men  could 
scarcely  wait  for  the  convening  of  the  legislature, 
so  anxious  were  they  to  get  into  the  fray. 

The  secretary  of  the  Club  had  his  eyes  opened 
to  the  true  state  of  affairs  so  thoroughly  that  he 
resigned  his  charge  and  went  out  to  lecture  over 
the  State.  He  was  surprised  at  the  demand  for 
such  lectures.  Ministers  were  awakening  to  the 
alarming  situation,  and  churches  were  opened 
to  him  everywhere.  He  made  a  series  of  three 
addresses  in  each  place ;  one  to  men  on  the  sub- 
ject, "The  Dignity  of  Manhood,"  one  to  women 
or:  "True  Womanhood,"  and  one  to  young  people 
on  "Adolescence."  Hundreds  sought  private  in- 
terviews with  him,  and  other  hundreds  told  him, 
with  tears  running  down  their  cheeks,  that  they 
wished  they  might  have  heard  his  addresses  a 
few  years  earlier. 

Jim  Miller  watched  the  minister's  great  work 
with  a  glowing  heart.  He  was  enjoying  his  re- 
venge already.  He  even  came  to  think,  some- 
times, that  perhaps  the  Providence  that  had 
allowed  the  Monster  to  attack  his  home  was  a 
blessing  in  disguise.  If  the  death  and  blindness 
of  one  or  two  could  save  the  thousands,  ought 
he  not  bow  in  thanksgiving  to  God  that  he  was 
allowed  to  furnish  the  sacrifice  for  the  altar  of 
human  emancipation?  He  felt  that  he  could 
better  understand  the  doctrine  of  the  vicarious 
atonement,  and  he  was  resigned  to  the  loss  of  his 
daughter  as  he  never  had  been  before.  His  wife 


222  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

fully  shared  this  feeling,  and  Jessie  found  her- 
self resigned  to  her  loss  in  the  same  way.  In- 
deed, Mrs.  Tallman  made  liberal  gifts  to  assist 
the  minister  to  stay  on  the  field,  and  was  pleased 
when  he  told  her  that  she  would  share  in  the  re- 
ward that  was  to  come  as  a  result  of  the  ad- 
dresses. 

That  man  is  the  greatest  success  who  can  get 
the  most  people  to  work  for  him.  Some  men 
fail  because  they  try  to  do  everything  them- 
selves. Others  have  the  faculty  of  inspiring 
other  workers  and  enlisting  agencies  that  make 
their  efforts  successful.  Jim  Miller  had  the 
ability  thus  to  grip  men  and  things  to  the  fur- 
therance of  his  plans.  Once  he  got  the  attention 
of  an  intelligent  man,  he  was  sure  of  that  man's 
help ;  and  there  was  no  middle  ground.  He  made 
that  very  plain.  Every  man  was  on  one  side  or 
the  other;  to  remain  quiet  was  to  assist  the 
Monster  in  his  work  of  destruction.  If  other 
men  had  built  up  a  machine  to  advance  their 
personal  ambitions  and  interests,  he  gathered  a 
host  of  men  and  women  who  hailed  him  as  their 
leader  in  the  greatest  fight  ever  made  in  America 
for  the  crushing  of  a  foe  that  had  touched  every 
one  of  their  homes  and  lives  in  some  way  or 
another.  If  his  son-in-law  had  felt  like  Judas  on 
the  night  of  his  self-destruction,  Senator  Miller 
felt  like  that  patriot,  Patrick  Henry,  must  have 
felt  when  he  uttered  his  immortal  words :  "Give 
me  liberty,  or  give  me  death !"  And  he  was  now 
at  a  point  where  he  could  see  emancipation  of 
womankind  written  large  oit  the  horizon  of  the 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  223 

future.  Soon,  the  fetters  should  fall  off  the  limbs 
of  more  than  half  of  the  race,  bound  for  thou- 
sands of  years  by  the  shackles  of  lust  and  ig- 
norance. 

His  wife  watched  his  transformation  from  the 
quiet  stockman  to  the  eloquent  avenger  and 
publicist  with  increasing  amazement.  All  his 
latent  forces  and  dormant  energies  were  on  fire. 
Nor  did  his  zeal  produce  fanaticism.  That  was 
the  best  of  it ;  he  fought  intelligently,  and  defied 
the  world  to  find  a  weak  place  in  his  armor.  Jack 
was  more  subtle  and  academic ;  but  the  father 
was  a  towering  general.  Together,  they  made 
a  team  that  must  win  any  battle  in  which  they 
engaged. 


224  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

JACK  MILLER'S  LOVE. 

There  is  a  general  opinion  abroad  that  a  man 
can  not  do  any  great,  worthy  thing  while  he  is 
making  love  to  a  woman.  Why  that  idea  should 
obtain  is  more  than  logic  or  philosophy  can  re- 
veal. It  must  have  been  born  of  the  fact  that 
the  first  heart  affair  of  adolescent  youth  is  so  all- 
consuming  that  the  fanciful  pair  forget  time, 
tide,  food,  and  sleep.  But  a  real,  grown  man 
makes  love  best  when  he  is  too  busy  to  be  sickly 
sentimental ;  his  love  ennobles  him  and  trans- 
figures the  most  menial  tasks  into  deeds  of 
valor;  makes  toil  seem  heroic,  and  lends  unusual 
competence  to  his  use  of  plow,  pen,  or  tennis- 
racket.  The  woodsman  feels  like  a  Caesar,  while 
felling  a  tree,  if  only  the  eyes  of  his  heart's  desire 
are  looking  on.  The  fireman  never  fights  the 
fire  fiend  so  well  as  when  his  lady-love  is  lean- 
ing from  a  window  across  the  street,  crying  for 
him  to  come  out  of  the  way  of  danger.  The  min- 
ister and  the  politician,  who  have  put  away 
childish  things,  deliver  their  messages  with  more 
eloquence  when  they  are  heard  by  the  pink  ears 
of  a  sympathetic  woman. 

Jack  Miller  was  in  love.  Justa  Harris,  Mar- 
vin's sister,  wrought  the  havoc  the  first  time 
Jack  saw  her,  after  being  away  for  a  year.  He 
had  not  declared  himself  at  the  time ;  but  she 
had  interpreted  his  timid  glances  aright,  and  she 
knew  by  the  rapidity  of  her  pulse  that  the  sensa- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  225 

tion  was  altogether  pleasant  on  her  part.  She 
was  a  decided  brunette.  Although  no  one  called 
her  a  beauty,  she  was  attractive  and  graceful. 
Her  bright  smile  made  up  for  any  lack  of  "com- 
plexion" and  she  knew  how  to  dress  to  the  best 
advantage. 

She  was  five  years  younger  than  Jack.  That 
accounted  for  his  not  having  noticed  her  more 
as  they  grew  up.  She  had  budded  forth  in  the 
one  short  year  he  was  gone,  and,  during  the  past 
two  years,  she  had  ripened  into  the  most  win- 
some woman  he  had  ever  met.  It  did  not  take 
long  for  them  to  come  to  an  understanding;  but 
he  was  so  busy,  and  the  work  before  him  so 
heavy,  that  their  courtship  was  a  process  of 
months  of  little  moments  snatched  from  the 
stress  of  campaign  and  preparation  for  the  ses- 
sion of  the  legislature  that  winter. 

Dixie  knew  of  the  affection,  and  approved  it 
most  heartily.  Here  was  a  chance  for  one  of  the 
family  to  achieve  the  ambition  of  her  parents  in 
perpetuation  of  the  old  Kentucky  stock,  and  to 
bless  them  with  a  posterity  of  which  they  might 
well  be  proud.  She  was  sure  that  Jack  was 
worthy,  and  there  was  no  question  about  Justa. 
Her  father  and  mother  were  as  fine  people  as  had 
ever  lived  in  the  Valley,  and  there  had  never 
been  any  indication  of  disease  or  habit  of  a  vicious 
nature,  with  the  single  exception  of  Marvin's 
declension,  in  any  member  of  the  Harris  family. 
Dixie  reflected  on  her  own  sad  lot,  and  wished 
Jack  and  Justa  the  happiest  possible  results  from 
their  mutual  choice. 


226  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Jim  Miller  had  a  frank  talk  with  Jack  when 
he  became  aware  of  the  serious  nature  of  his  love 
for  Justa. 

"My  son,"  he  said,  during  a  little  respite  in 
their  work  at  the  office,  "I  suspect  you  are  think- 
ing of  offering  marriage  to  Justa  Harris?" 

"Yes,  father,  I  meant  to  talk  it  over  with  you, 
and  I  am  glad  you  mentioned  it." 

"Then,  you  have  not  proposed  to  her?" 

"No,  sir,  I  owed  it  to  you  to  speak  to  you  first." 

"Why  do  you  think  you  owed  me  that?" 

"Well,  because  I  should  not  like  to  take  such 
an  important  step  in  life  without  consulting  you. 
I  am  of  age;  but  our  interests  are  so  identical 
in  the  work  we  have  undertaken,  that  I  owe  it 
to  you  to  ask  your  advice  and  consent  to  my  mar- 
riage with  any  woman.  Also,  I  want  the  weight 
of  your  judgment  as  to  whether  my  choice  is  in- 
telligent." 

"I  certainly  appreciate  this  frankness,  son. 
You  could  claim  your  right  to  marry  without  con- 
sulting me,  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  would 
question  it.  It  is  true  that  our  great  work  dou- 
bles the  bond  between  us,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to 
give  you  any  advice  I  may.  Your  last  remark 
raises  the  question  of  natural  selection  in  mar- 
riage; do  you  not  believe  in  that?" 

"No,  sir,  not  altogether.  I  believe  natural  se- 
lection through  the  passion  of  love  is  all  right 
when,  and  only  when,  reason  and  science  make 
marriage  as  rational  and  right  to  both  persons 
as  it  is  desirable." 

"Then,  if  you  were  to  discover  some  physical 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  227 

or  mental  defect  in  yourself  or  Justa,  you  would 
not  marry?" 

"Never!  That  would  be  treason  to  the  very 
cause  I  am  advocating.  I  am  committed  to  the 
logic  and  soundness  of  our  doctrines  personally, 
as  well  as  ethically  and  theoretically." 

"Thank  God !  I  have  not  lived  in  vain,  and  my 
revenge  is  sweeter  than  ever.  Dixie  has  kept 
her  promise,  though  it  has  consigned  her  to  the 
purgatory  of  a  childless  existence.  Now  you 
prove  your  sanity  by  the  same  test.  This  is 
victory !" 

"But  you  do  not  think  there  is  such  reason 
that  I  ought  not  to  marry  Justa?" 

"Only  you  can  answer  that,  my  boy.  Are  you 
as  pure  as  you  expect  her  to  be  when  you  meet 
her  at  Hymen's  altar?" 

Jack  stood  up  and  lifted  his  hand  above  his 
head.  "Look,  father,"  he  cried,  "with  my  hand 
lifted  to  Heaven,  I  declare  unto  you  that  not  a 
single  muscle  or  nerve,  not  a  vein  or  tissue  of 
my  body  has  ever  been  stained  with  a  drop  of 
alcohol  nor  an  atom  of  nicotine;  I  am  uncon- 
scious of  it  if  a  single  germ  of  any  disease  has 
ever  impinged  on  my  flesh ;  I  have  never  con- 
ducted myself  toward  any  woman  as  I  would 
not  have  any  man  treat  my  good  mother.  Moth- 
er's talk  to  me  when  Allie  died  has  saved  me 
from  all  that.  I  am  clean." 

As  his  hand  fell,  the  father  sprang  up  and 
grasped  it  in  his  own. 

"I  was  sure  it  was  so,  Jack,  but  to  hear  it  like 
that  from  your  lips  makes  me  proud  of  my  son. 


228  JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS 

Listen.  I  have  carefully  investigated  my  own 
family,  and  your  mother's  as  well,  and  I  can 
assure  you  that,  so  far  as  I  am  able  to  discover, 
the  blood  is  clean  for  four  generations  behind 
you.  There  is  not  a  case  of  drunkenness  nor 
inheritable  disease  to  be  found  in  your  ancestry 
that  far  back.  It  is  up  to  you  to  keep  the  blood 
clean  down  the  generations  to  come.  This  you 
can  do  by  proper  teaching;  for,  where  one  gen- 
eration knows,  they  will  pass  the  knowledge  on 
to  the  next.  I  almost  wish  I  could  live  a  thou- 
sand years  just  to  see  what  can  be  done  in  the 
way  of  improving  one  family  of  the  race.  Tell 
your  children  never  to  marry  into  a  family  that 
has  tainted  blood." 

"Thank  you,  father.  But  tell  me  what  you  think 
of  Justa's  ancestry?" 

"I  will  have  a  talk  with  Mr.  Harris,  if  you 
wish  me  to,  and  let  you  know." 

"That  will  be  the  very  thing,  and  how  I  appre- 
ciate your  kindness  and  help." 

"I  owe  you  that." 

"Perhaps  you  had  better  wait  a  while  about 
talking  to  him,  because  I  am  not  ready  to  marry 
just  yet.  I  want  to  get  through  with  the  session 
of  the  legislature  before  I  think  of  that;  then, 
I  need  to  get  through  my  study  and  be  admitted 
to  the  bar.  I  might  do  that  after  marrying;  but 
that  can  be  settled  after  the  session  is  over." 

"Well,  if  anything  should  happen  that  I  should 
not  be  able  to  interview  Mr.  Harris,  Dr.  Mc- 
Connell  will  serve  you  as  well,  or  perhaps  bet- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  229 

ter  than  I  could ;  I  have  his  promise  of  that  kind 
of  service  for  any  member  of  my  family." 

Drury  Patterson  returned  from  the  East  full 
of  enthusiasm  and  knowledge.  He  delighted  the 
Club  with  his  graphic  accounts  of  what  was  being 
done  in  the  universities  and  colleges  of  the  North 
and  East,  and  by  the  different  societies  that  had 
been  formed  to  fight  the  Great  Black  Plague. 
He  told  them  of  the  surprise  of  educators  and 
doctors  when  they  heard  of  the  real  work  being 
done  under  Senator  Miller's  leadership.  They 
readily  agreed  to  the  measures  the  Tamalpias 
Club  was  urging,  and  made  further  suggestions 
that  were  acceptable  to  the  Club. 

It  was  quite  a  surprise  to  him  to  learn  from 
Dixie  of  Jack's  love  affair.  He  was  pleased,  how- 
ever, and,  for  the  first  time,  showed  a  little  im- 
patience over  his  own  handicap  and  disability 
to  claim  his  sweetheart's  hand  in  marriage.  If 
he  ever  had  been  jealous,  he  was  jealous  now. 
He  felt  the  call  of  his  heart  as  she  had  felt  the 
call  of  hers.  Manhood  cried  out  for  its  mate. 
They  were  in  the  same  car,  and  they  drove  along 
the  same  road  where  Dixie  had  voiced  her  rebel- 
lion a  short  time  before. 

"Dixie,"  he  cried,  as  he  brought  the  car  to  a 
sudden  stop  under  the  very  trees  where  they  had 
sat  before,  and  grasped  her  hands  in  his,  "it  is 
the  heaviest  curse  ever  put  on  man.  My  detec- 
tives have  learned  almost  nothing.  I  am  worse 
than  an  Ishmaelite ;  I  am  like  the  child-widows 
of  India.  They  are  better  off  than  I ;  for,  al- 
though they  are  forbidden  to  marry,  they  may 


230  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

know  who  their  parents  are.  I  am  a  man,  and  I 
feel  the  emotions,  sentiments,  ambitions,  and 
those  things  God  has  made  essential  to  man- 
hood—companionship, lordship  over  a  home,  that 
kingship  that  is  incomplete  without  a  queen ;  to 
know  that  my  life  will  be  lived  out  in  others 
after  me.  Oh,  it  is  this  that  love  was  designed 
to  accomplish  and  make  perfect !  Yet,  here  I 
am  loving  the  most  adorable  woman  in  the  world, 
sure  that  my  love  is  returned,  and  not  daring  to 
press  the  cup  I  hold  in  my  hands  to  my  lips. 
O  my  love,  I  am  almost  mad !  Why  did  I  not 
accept  your  proposition  and  risk  the  conse- 
quences? Come  on,  let  us  go  and  get  the  license 
and  marry  within  the  next  hour.  Will  you,  my 
darling?" 

"Drury!  What  are  you  saying!  I  never  knew 
you  to  give  way  to  your  feeling  like  this.  Come, 
be  strong;  for  my  sake,  be  strong." 

"Strong?  Haven't  I  been  strong?  My 
strength  has  left  me,  though.  I  am  a  prisoner 
in  the  hands  of  fate.  May  I  not  break  the  bars 
that  hold  my  spirit  captive?" 

"No.  Justice  will  come  and  liberate  you  in 
due  time.  I  know  it ;  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"You  will  not  come  with  me?  You  refuse  to 
marry  me  because  I  am  a  nameless  waif?" 

"Don't,  Drury !  You  will  kill  me.  You  know 
it  is  not  that.  Did  I  not  prove  it  the  other  day 
when  I  offered  to  fly  in  the  face  of  all  our  prom- 
ises, and  the  objections  of  my  own  relatives?" 

She  broke  down,  sobbing,  and  he  was  sobered 
at  once. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  231 

"Forgive  me,  sweetheart.  My  God,  what  have 
I  said ! 

"Dixie,  look  up,  sweetheart.  I  was  a  simper- 
Mig  fool.  Look  up ;  I  will  not  lose  my  head  again 
— it  was  only  the  pent-up  anguish  of  years — it  is 
over  with  now,  and  I  am  myself  again." 

"That  is  more  like  my  big,  brave  man.  I  am 
glad  you  love  me  like  that,  dear  man,  and  I  can 
see  now  how  strong  you  must  have  been  when  I 
was  weak." 

"But  it  was  your  almost  superhuman  strength 
that  brought  me  to  my  senses.  I  am  surprised 
at  this  weakness,  and  I  promise  you  it  shall  never 
master  me  again." 

"I  am  really  glad  you  did  give  way  a  little  bit, 
Drury;  for  I  was  beginning  to  think  that  either 
your  love  was  too  practical,  or  that  you  were 
more  than  human  in  your  control  of  it.  We  are 
even,  now,  and  each  understands  himself  and 
the  other  better  than  ever  before." 

"That  is  true.  And  I  love  you  more,  if  pos- 
sible." 

Then  they  came  back  to  the  land  of  common 
mortals,  and  returned  to  town,  and  to  their  work 
for  others. 

Jack's  talk  with  his  father  awakened  his  love 
to  unknown  depths,  and  he  found  himself  ideal- 
izing its  object,  and  planning  his  future  with 
regard  to  her  and  her  happiness.  He  had  never 
allowed  his  attention  to  her,  nor  his  thoughts  ot 
her  to  interfere  with  his  work ;  but  he  found  it 
hard  to  keep  from  thinking  of  his  plans  for  the 
future  in  which  she  figured  so  much.  His  deter- 


232  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

mination  to  delay  his  proposal  to  her  until  after 
the  meeting  of  the  legislature  was  destroyed  one 
holiday.  They  had  gone  with  a  party  on  a  long 
tramp  that  took  them  to  Indian  Bluff.  They 
carried  lunch  baskets,  and  were  to  gather  at  the 
Bluff  for  dinner.  On  their  way,  they  gathered 
pecans.  The  trees  were  loaded  and  the  nuts  were 
just  beginning  to  fall.  Nearer  town,  boys  and 
men  were  thrashing  them  from  the  trees  and 
gathering  them  for  market.  Jack  had  a  canvas 
bag  thrown  over  his  shoulder,  and  he  and  Justa 
worked  vigorously  until  the  bag  got  so  heavy 
that  they  hung  it  on  a  limb  of  a  tree,  and  went 
on  to  the  Bluff  in  advance  of  the  others. 

Both  had  been  there  before;  but  it  had  never 
been  half  as  romantic  as  it  was  this  beautiful  fall 
day.  It  is  a  strange  fact  that  a  romantic  spot 
has  much  to  do  with  making  the  people  who 
visit  it  romantic.  Many  a  romance  is  born  of 
environment  rather  than  of  inherent  worth,  taste, 
or  natural  affinity.  Their  romance  was  already 
in  embryo,  but  it  was  the  environment,  where 
so  many  others  had  culminated,  that  caused  the 
sturdy  young  man  to  throw  his  determination 
to  the  winds.  The  very  inscriptions  on  the  soft 
rock  called  for  their  names  to  be  written  with 
the  others. 

"It  looks  such  a  foolish  thing  to  do,  this  writ- 
ing of  names  on  this  Bluff,  unless  one  was  sure 
that  the  names  would  be  coupled  like  that  for 
life,"  said  Justa.  "Look  here  for  instance:  'John 
Porter  Allen  and  Lucile  Altman — 7-4-00.'  She 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  238 

married  Alfred  Pryor,  and  he  is  still  an  old 
bachelor." 

"But  here  is  my  sister  Allie's  name  with  that 
of  Maxwell  Wright.  Yes,  and  here  is  your 
brother  Marvin's  and  his  wife's.  Suppose  I  carve 
ours  here  together." 

She  averted  her  gaze;  but  he  could  see  the 
blushes  she  was  trying  to  hide.  It  was  the 
psychological  moment.  What  real  lover  could 
have  resisted  it?  They  were  sitting  on  the  very 
edge  of  the  Bluff,  and  it  was  impossible  to  move 
quickly  without  endangering  life  and  limb.  He 
slipped  his  arm  around  her  waist,  and  drew  her 
to  him. 

"Justa,"  he  said,  "I  did  not  intend  to  speak 
to  you  until  I  returned  from  the  meeting  of  the 
legislature ;  but  I  must  speak  now.  I  love  you — 
have  loved  you  ever  since  I  came  home  three 
years  ago,  and  saw  you  suddenly  sprung  from  a 
schoolgirl  into  a  most  winsome  and  lovely  young 
lady.  You  have  given  me  some  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  my  attention  has  not  been  hateful  to 
you.  Tell  me :  may  I  hope  to  claim  you  for  my 
wife  some  day?" 

She  drew  away  from  his  embrace  as  gently  as 
she  could,  so  that  she  might  look  him  in  the 
face.  She  deliberately  went  over  every  feature, 
and  looked  deep  into  his  eyes.  Her  voice  was 
steady,  but  there  was  a  suspicion  of  moisture 
in  her  eyes  as  she  said: 

"I  am  not  entirely  surprised,  Jack,  I  have 
known  by  your  actions  and  manner  that  you 
cared  for  me ;  therefore  I  have  thought  of  the 


234  JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS 

possibility  of  this  moment.  I  did  not  think  it 
would  come  so  soon ;  but  I  must  talk  plainly 
with  you  before  I  answer  your  questions.  I  have 
watched  the  progress  of  your  father's  noble  fight 
for  a  worthy  revenge  for  the  injury  done  his 
family.  I  am  only  a  girl,  but  I  have  been  in- 
terested in  the  matter  from  the  first.  You  have 
voluntarily  taken  up  the  cause,  and  I  am  sure 
you  will  fight  just  as  hard  as  your  father  for 
these  principles.  I  love  you,  Jack.  Oh,  how  I 
love  you !  I  have  watched  you  while  you  were 
on  the  rostrum,  and  have  called  you  my  prince. 
I  have  longed  to  tell  you  how  proud  I  am  of 
y©u.  But,  Jack,  dear,  you  must  remember  that 
the  Monster  came  near  ruining  my  brother's 
home.  Ah,  you  thought  I  did  not  know.^  No- 
body told  me,  but  I  knew.  And  I  want  to  know 
that  there  are  no  barriers  to  our  love.  I  must 
know." 

It  was  a  long  speech,  and  he  knew  she  must 
have  thought  over  the  matter  of  it  many  times 
against  this  event.  Admiration  sparkled  in  his 
eyes,  and  his  smile  told  her  that  he  was  glad  for 
this  frankness. 

"You  darling  girl !  My  lips  have  never 
touched  yours,  but  they  must  have  a  kiss  from 
them  after  they  have  spoken  these  brave  words. 
Come,  answer  my  question  with  a  kiss." 

"But  my  simple  expression  does  not  satisfy 
me." 

"Ah,  I  forgot.  Justa,  I  offer  you  a  pure,  clean 
hand.  Will  you  take  it?  It  is  as  clean  as  any  man 
ever  offered  to  a  woman." 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  235 

"I  believe  it,  Jack.  By  a  woman's  intuition,  I 
have  known  you  are  clean.  And  I  am  sure  your 
family  is  all  that  one  could  ask.  But  what  about 
my  own?  That  is  what  I  want  to  know." 

"What!  Do  you  believe  for  a  moment  that 
there  is  a  defect  in  the  blood  in  your  veins?  I 
do  not  believe  it !  Come,  Justa,  give  me  that 
kiss,  and,  with  it,  your  answer  that  you  will  be 
my  wife." 

"I  will  give  you  that  if  you  will  promise  me 
that  you  will  demand  of  my  father  if  he  knows 
any  reason  why  we  should  not  marry." 

"Done." 

They  were  warned  of  the  approach  of  the  rest 
of  their  party,  about  an  hour  later,  by  the  laugh- 
ter and  shouts  of  the  jolly  crowd.  When  the 
others  arrived,  the  lovers  were  very  innocently 
throwing  rocks  into  the  creek  below ;  but  their 
names  were  written  together  on  the  Bluff. 


236  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

NEW    WINE   IN    OLD   BOTTLES. 

Winter  was  just  getting  a  good  grip  on  the 
Northern  country,  and,  by  sending  frequent 
chilling  blasts  across  the  Gulf  States,  was  putting 
forth  desperate  efforts  to  make  the  citizens  of 
the  Southwest  shiver  in  acknowledgment  of 
their  acceptance  of  his  rule  for  a  few  weeks. 
Norther  after  norther  swept  over  the  prairies, 
and  these  were  alternated  with  cold  rains  and 
dismal  days,  unrelieved  by  the  sunshine  of 
which  the  natives  boast  so  much.  Stock  was 
suffering,  and  the  fuel  question  was  serious.  Un- 
accoustomed  to  such  weather,  the  schoolrooms 
were  overheated,  and  the  doors  and  windows 
were  kept  closed  in  all  dwellings  and  public 
buildings.  The  people  breathed  only  vitiated 
air,  and  they  shrank  from  the  damp  outdoor  air 
that  would  have  given  them  health.  Children 
got  their  feet  damp  for  want  of  heavy  shoes,  and 
all  the  malaria  that  had  been  stored  up  in  their 
systems,  by  the  bites  of  mosquitoes  during  the 
fall,  became  active.  No  one  ever  knows  what  to 
expect  of  malarial  disorders.  There  is  no  other 
disease  as  hard  to  prognosticate,  and  it  renders 
the  system  susceptible  to  the  invasion  of  other 
germs.  Tamalpias  escaped  the  epidemic  for  the 
simple  reason  that  the  town  was  in  an  altitude 
not  infested  by  mosquitoes,  and  the  atmosphere 
was  dry  and  full  of  oxygen.  But  other  towns 
were  filled  with  sick  people,  and  nurses  were  in 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  237 

demand.  Dixie  offered  her  services  under  the 
direction  of  the  House  of  Healing,  and  was  im- 
mediately accepted  and  detailed  to  duty  in  a 
City  Hospital. 

Almost  without  the  usual  warning  of  a  few  ad- 
vance cases,  that  dread  disease,  cerebro-spinal 
meningitis,  became  prevalent.  The  large  per- 
centage of  fatalities  threw  the  city  into  a  panic, 
and  neighboring  towns  and  cities  began  to  quar- 
antine against  them.  Doctors  offered  their  ser- 
vices, and  Dr.  Drury  Patterson  was  among  the 
first  to  reach  the  afflicted  city  and  enlist  in  the 
work  of  sanitation  and  treatment.  iThe  scourge 
increased  daily,  and  other  towns  and  cities  began 
to  report  cases.  Within  a  month,  scores  of  places 
were  under  quarantine,  and  the  whole  State  became 
alarmed. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  the  noted  Dr. 
Stephen,  who  had  been  studying  this  particular 
disease  for  years,  came  on  the  scene  to  direct 
the  heroic  campaign  for  the  stamping  out  of  the 
plague.  Dr.  Patterson  became  such  an  apt  pupil 
of  the  expert  that  he  was  soon  sent  to  direct  the 
fight  in  other  places.  For  weeks,  he  worked 
almost  day  and  night.  He  was  warned  to  rest 
and  recuperate;  but  he  laughed  at  the,  alarm  of 
friends  and  associates.  The  need  for  his  services 
was  so  imperative,  and  the  ravages  of  the  disease 
so  great,  and  so  rapid,  that  he  could  not  rest 
when  he  went  to  bed.  Twice,  he  was  tempted,  as 
he  had  never  been  tempted  before,  to  take  some 
kind  of  drug  to  sustain  him  against  his  outrage 
of  nature.  Once,  an  older  doctor  took  a  dose  of 
cocaine  in  his  presence,  and  he  noted  the  almost 


238  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

immediate  effect.  His  tired  brain  refused  to 
reason  out  the  right  or  wrong  of  such  an  act,  and 
his  need  of  rest  and  sleep  was  so  desperate  that 
he  went  behind  a  prescription-case  and  poured 
a  dose  from  a  bottle.  As  he  turned  to  the  hydrant 
and  lifted  his  hand  to  his  mouth,  he  happened 
to  catch  his  reflection  in  a  mirror  on  the  wall. 
Like  a  flash,  his  brain  awakened,  and  he  stood 
aghast.  What  was  this  he  was  about  to  do! 

"Fool,"  he  cried,  "it  has  come  at  last!  The 
awful  temptation  that  I  have  feared  so  long  has 
come  at  last.  I  might  have  know  it,  though. 
What  am  I  but  a  'river-rat'  picked  up  out  of  the 
muddy  waters  of  the  Mississippi?  I  might  as 
well  take  it  and  go  to  the  Devil.  I'll  likely  go, 
anyway." 

He  lifted  his  hand  again,  and,  again,  he  saw 
his  image  in  the  glass.  This  time,  his  manhood 
awakened  and  joined  his  aroused  brain.  Then, 
his  will-power  buckled  on  its  armor,  and  called 
on  his  manhood  to  assert  itself.  Memory,  too, 
came  on  the  scene.  Dixie  Miller  believed  in  him  ; 
she  loved  him,  and,  by  that,  had  a  claim  on  him. 
Her  words,  "Be  strong!"  echoed  in  his  ears,  and 
he  threw  the  drug  into  the  lavatory,  and  turned 
from  the  place.  The  victory  gave  him  strength 
and  self-respect,  and  he  resolved  to  go  to  his 
hotel  and  get  the  needed  rest.  He  told  the  clerk 
that  he  was  not  to  be  called  for  any  purpose 
until  twelve  o'clock  the  next  day.  After  a  re- 
freshing bath,  and  a  few  moments  of  silent  medi- 
tation, he  went  to  bed. 

It  was  nearly  noon  when  he  awakened  the  next 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  239 

day.  He  arose  immediately  and  took  a  plunge- 
bath  in  cold  water.  Then,  he  dressed  hurriedly, 
and  went  down  to  the  office.  He  refused  his 
mail  and  ordered  a  taxicab  for  a  spin  before 
luncheon.  As  the  driver  was  given  no  instruc- 
tions but  to  "go"  for  an  hour,  he  drove  through 
parks  and  beautiful  residential  sections.  But 
Dr.  Patterson  was  not  interested  in  the  scenery. 
He  was  examining  himself.  In  the  light  of  a 
new  day,  and  with  his  body  and  mind  refreshed, 
he  could  not  see  why  he  had  been  so  tempted. 
If  he  had  taken  the  drug,  he  would  have  hated 
himself  forever.  He  knew  he  could  never  have 
looked  in  Dixie's  face  again,  and  he  wondered  if 
the  remorse  would  have  driven  him  to  suicide. 
He  shuddered  at  the  very  word.  Then,  the 
future  loomed  up  before  him.  There  were  other 
days  coming.  Would  he  be  tempted  again,  and, 
if  so,  would  he  be  weaker  than  he  had  been  on 
this  occasion  ?  Would  there  be  a  mirror  to  arrest 
his  hand?  His  thoughts  had  traveled  thus  far 
when  the  taxicab  stopped  and  he  was  at  the 
hotel  door.  As  he  entered  the  dining-room,  he 
saw  Dixie  standing  there  with  mischievous 
smiles  on  her  beautiful  face. 

"My,  but  you  are  a  serious  doctor!  Run  right 
over  your  friends  and  never  see  them.  Come, 
give  an  account  of  yourself." 

"Dixie!     What  on  earth  brings  you  here?" 

"Haven't  I  the  right  to  go  where  I  please?" 
she  laughed,  mockingly. 

"But  it  is  so  unexpected." 


240  JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS 

"Unexpected!  Did  you  not  get  my  letter  this 
morning?" 

"No.  I  refused  my  mail  until  I  should  take  a 
drive." 

"So  that  is  it.  I  was  just  a  little  disappointed 
that  you  did  not  meet  me  at  the  station.  But, 
go  in  and  lunch ;  then,  we  shall  have  time  to 
talk.  I  will  meet  you  in  the  parlor  in  half  an 
hour." 

The  epidemic  had  abated  in  the  first  city,  and 
Dixie,  relieved  from  her  duty  there,  had  written 
Drury  that  she  was  coming  to  offer  her  services 
in  the  hospital  where  he  was  worikng.  She 
knew  that  he  was  overworked,  and  she  hoped  to 
be  able  to  persuade  him  to  rest. 

When  he  came  into  the  parlor,  she  was  waiting 
for  him. 

"Come,"  she  said,  "give  an  account  of  your- 
self. I  come  to  insist  that  you  stop  and  rest, 
and,  when  I  ask  about  you,  the  clerk  tells  me 
that  you  went  to  your  room  in  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon  yesterday,  and  gave  instructions  that 
you  were  not  to  be  called  until  noon  today. 
Then,  a  bellboy  appears,  and  says  that  you  went 
out  for  a  drive  before  lunch.  I  see  that  my  mis- 
sion is  useless  so  far  as  that  part  is  concerned; 
but,  perhaps,  I  can  be  of  service  to  somebody 
who  really  needs  me." 

"Somebody  who  really  needs  you?    That's  I." 

"You  do  not  look  half  as  needy  as  I  expected 
to  find  you." 

"But  I  am  more  needy  than  I  look.     Dixie,  I 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  241 

can  not  conceal  my  story  from  you.  I  must  tell 
you — I  have  fallen." 

"Fallen!  Drury,  what  in  the  name  of  mercy 
do  you  mean?  Tell  me,  quickly!"  There  was 
anguish  and  alarm  in  her  voice,  and  she  put 
her  hand  on  his  shoulder  and  looked  into  his 
downcast  eyes. 

"Not  into  sin,  thank  God,  but  into  temptation. 
And  you  know  what  that  means  to  me." 

"Oh,  how  you  relieve  me!  How  dare  you 
frighten  me  that  way?  But  tell  me,  what  was 
the  temptation?" 

"I  believe  I  would  tell  you  the  innermost 
secrets  of  my  soul,  Dixie.  I  can  not  imagine 
myself  keeping  things  from  you.  But  this  is  so 
humiliating  to  me.  Be  as  kind  and  merciful  as 
you  can." 

Then,  he  told  her  all ;  and  made  it  as  bad  as 
he  could.  Even  in  the  telling  of  it,  he  saw  that 
it  was  not  quite  as  bad  as  he  had  imagined  it. 

"So,  you  see,"  he  finished,  "I  have  some  weak- 
ness, inherited  or  otherwise.  And  that  is  the 
thing  that  I  have  hoped  would  not  appear  in  my 
life." 

"Why,  you  silly  man.  Did  you  expect  to  be 
able  to  disobey  the  laws  of  nature  until  your 
brain  and  nerves  ceased  to  perform  their  func- 
tions, and  then,  because  a  little  respite  was  sug- 
gested to  you  by  the  habit  of  another,  call  it  a 
temptation  caused  by  inherent  desire?  Did  you 
really  desire  the  drug,  or  the  effect  it  would 
produce?" 

"No,  neither.     My  body  had  refused  to  obey 


242  JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS 

my  will,  and  I  would  have  welcomed  a  shock  of 
electricity  as  much  as  the  drug,  if  it  would  have 
given  me  back  my  wasted  strength.  I  simply 
wanted  to  go  on  with  my  work." 

"O  my  dear,  brave,  strong  man,  can't  you  see 
that  it  was  inherent  manhood  and  will  that  saved 
you,  instead  of  inherent  weakness  that  tempted 
you  ?" 

"That  is  a  charitable  view  to  take  of  it." 

"No,  it  isn't.  It  is  the  sensible  view — the  right 
view.  It  you  could  dash  that  drug  from  your 
lips  when  your  mind  and  body  were  so  thor- 
oughly worn  out,  you  would  never  think  of 
taking  it  when  you  were  in  a  normal  condition." 

"That  is  true.  What  a  darling  girl  you  are ! 
And  I  know  now  how  much  I  really  needed  you 
this  morning,  surely  it  was  a  kind  Providence 
that  sent  you  to  me." 

"I  am  glad  I  came,  if  only  to  get  you  to  see 
yourself  in  the  proper  light." 

"But  it  was  the  memory  of  you  and  your  words 
that  helped  me  to  assert  myself  in  that  trying 
moment." 

Never  had  Dixie  longed  to  have  the  right  to  be 
with  him  always,  and  help  him  in  all  his  great 
problems,  and  lean  on  his  strong  arms  for  life, 
as  she  did  that  day.  He  was  so  pure  and  noble, 
and  she  understood  him  so  well  that  her  love 
for  him  took  on  a  maternal  quality.  The  sanc- 
tity of  their  affection  was  forever  sealed,  and 
they  both  recognized  that  each  really  needed 
the  other. 

"Drury  I  have  had  a  strange  presentiment  for 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  243 

several  days :  I  am  as  sure  you  are  going  to  find 
your  parents,  and  that  they  are  worthy  people, 
as  I  am  of  your  presence  in  this  room.  I  can  not 
tell  you  how  I  know  it ;  I  haven't  dreamed  it,  nor 
have  I  been  to  a  mystic :  but  I  am  sure  we  are 
to  be  allowed  to  have  a  home  all  our  own,  with- 
out violating  the  principles  my  father  is  fighting 
for." 

"I  wish  I  was  as  hopeful.  I  can  not  see  how 
it  is  to  come  about.  I  have  discharged  the  detec- 
tives, and  there  is  nothing  but  chance  to  unveil 
the  past  and  give  me  my  birthright.  God  grant 
that  you  may  be  correct,  for  this  life  is  wearing 
my  heart  away." 

A  messenger  boy  came  to  them  with  an  urgent 
call  for  Dr.  Patterson  to  come  to  the  hospital, 
and  he  told  Dixie  he  would  see  her  that  evening, 
and  hurried  away. 

Dixie  was  needed,  and,  the  next  day,  she  took 
up  her  duties  in  the  hospital.  For  three  weeks, 
they  worked,  and  fought  back  the  disease  until 
at  last  it  was  under  complete  control.  Dr.  Pat- 
terson's name  was  printed  in  the  city  papers  in 
large  black  letters,  and  the  citizens  petitioned 
him  to  locate  among  them.  They  offered  to  build 
him  a  sanitarium  if  he  would  accept  it,  and  he 
told  them  he  would  take  the  matter  under  ad- 
visement. Dixie,  also,  was  assured  of  employ- 
ment in  the  very  best  homes  in  the  city  at  any 
price  she  might  ask  for  her  services.  No  one  sus- 
pected the  attachment  of  doctor  and  nurse;  for 
they  were  too  sensible  to  show  their  holy  affec- 
tions for  each  other  to  a  gainsaying  world. 


244  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Drury  and  Dixie  were  still  in  their  hospital 
work  when  Dixie  received  a  letter  from  her  moth- 
er, saying  that  Maxwell  Wright  was  married 
again.  It  was  a  shock  to  the  family,  because,  as 
the  reader  knows,  Jim  Miller  had  written  to  the 
young  man,  and  told  him  the  facts  in  the  case. 
Maxwell  had  not  believed  him,  however,  and  had 
delayed  his  interview  with  Dr.  Duncan  until  he 
had  become  enamored  of  another  woman ;  and 
everybody  knows  that  Cupid  is  blind.  We  do 
not  believe  much  that  we  do  not  want  to  believe. 
Maxwell  had  been  married  for  three  months 
when  his  mother  brought  herself  to  the  task  of 
breaking  the  news  to  the  Millers. 

Jessie  had  several  admirers,  and  one  splendid 
man  had  offered  her  his  hand  in  marriage;  but 
she  was  fully  decided  that  she  would  never  marry. 
Her  one  sad  experience  had  proved  so  dis- 
appointing, and  her  health  was  not  such  as  she 
knew  a  wife's  should  be ;  so  she  declined  the  of- 
fer and  was  happy  in  the  education  of  her  blind 
child  and  what  she  could  do  to  help  her  father 
and  brother  to  make  such  sorrows  as  hers  fewer. 
Her  grief  over  the  news  of  Maxwell's  marriage 
was  deep.  She  knew  that  the  new  wife  was  lay- 
ing herself  liable  to  all  that  Allie  had  undergone, 
and  perhaps  worse.  Time  alone  would  tell. 

Dr.  McConnell  wrote  Maxwell  a  very  plain 
letter  in  which  he  warned  him  of  the  possible 
consequences,  and  how  best  to  guard  his  wife 
from  the  same  troubles  that  had  taken  Allie  to 
an  early  grave.  His  letter  was  replied  to  with 
a  curt  note  that,  when  his  advice  was  wanted, 
it  would  be  called  for.  The  Tamalpias  Club  put 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  245 

Maxwell  Wright's  name  on  their  mailing  list, 
and  kept  him  supplied  with  literature  on  the  sub- 
ject. 

The  Christmas  holidays  found  Dixie  and  Dr. 
Patterson  at  home.  The  minister  came  in  for  a 
few  days'  rest,  and  the  Club  had  its  final  session 
of  the  year  with  all  the  members  present.  They 
had  done  an  immense  amount  of  work  during 
the  six  months  of  the  Club's  existence;  Marvin 
Harris  was  elected  president  for  the  ensuing 
year.  He  had  become  one  of  the  most  enthusi- 
astic and  effective  members,  and  Jim  Miller  was 
glad  to  have  him  take  his  place  as  the  active  head 
of  the  local  organization.  Professor  Thompson 
was  made  secretary,  and  the  membership  was 
increased  by  the  addition  of  the  two  doctors  who 
had  held  aloof  until  this  time. 

The  Club  gave  a  banquet  on  New  Year's 
night,  and  Jessie  Tallman  presented  the  minister 
with  a  check  for  a  large  amount  in  token  of  her 
appreciation  of  the  good  work  he  had  done  on 
the  lecture  platform.  The  Club  gave  Jack  Miller 
a  gold  watch,  suitably  engraved,  and  Jim  Miller 
was  deeply  embarrassed  by  a  speech  delivered 
by  Professor  Thompson,  and  the  presentation  of 
a  loving  cup,  on  which  were  engraved  these 
words : 

"To  Our  Friend 
And  Heroic  Leader. 
SENATOR  JAMES  R.  MILLER. 
With  the   Love  and   Esteem  of  every 
Member  of  the  Tamalpias  Health  Club, 

"New  wine  in  old  bottles" 
"Drink   hereof  and   succeed." 


246  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

When  he  had  time  to  compose  himself  and 
get  his  voice,  Senator  Miller  replied  to  the  speech 
of  presentation.  The  one  hundred  people  pres- 
ent had  heard  him  speak  on  many  occasions ; 
but  they  had  never  heard  him  speak  as  he  did 
then.  He  opened  his  heart  to  them,  and  told 
them  that  his  fight  was  both  selfish,  and  unself- 
ish ;  selfish  in  the  fact  that  he  had  undertaken  it 
as  a  means  of  revenge  for  the  life  of  his  child 
and  the  sorrows  of  her  twin ;  unselfish  in  that  it 
was  for  the  whole  race,  and  not  for  those  he 
loved,  alone.  At  the  close  of  his  impassioned 
speech,  he  took  up  the  cup  and  held  it  before  his 
face. 

"O  Cup,"  he  cried,  "the  Master  prayed  that  a 
cup  might  pass  from  Him.  I  once  prayed  that 
same  prayer;  but,  like  the  Master,  I  drank  my 
cup  to  the  dregs,  and  it  was  a  bitter  cup — few 
know  how  bitter.  Tonight  I  press  you  to  my 
lips  and  drink  down  the  draught  of  love  and  confi- 
dence you  contain,  and,  in  the  dregs  at  your  bot- 
tom, I  find  the  assurance  that  the  vengeance  I 
have  planned  will  be  wrought  even  though  I 
die  tomorrow.  As  I  sip  the  sparkling  wine  of 
Love  that  brims  you,  it  becomes  a  tonic  to  my 
ambition,  a  balm  to  my  wounded  soul,  a  coal  of 
fire  to  my  lips,  making  them  eloquent,  a  foun- 
tain of  youth  that  promises  me  vigor  for  years 
yet  unborn  in  the  womb  of  eternity,  a  spirit  of 
prophecy  that  unfolds  a  future  free  from  our 
social  plague.  I  take  thee  to  my  lips  in  dedica- 
tion anew  to  the  emancipation  of  the  impris- 
oned, the  education  of  the  ignorant,  and  the  os- 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  247 

tracism  of  the  criminal.  Again,  I  drink  of  thee. 
This  time,  it  is  the  strong  wine  of  confidence, 
settling  on  the  lees.  Tis  not  confidence  in  me, 
the  man ;  but  confidence,  in  the  righteousness  of 
the  cause  I  represent.  I  may  fail;  yea,  I  fail 
every  day.  I  may  be  unworthy ;  I  am.  But  the 
cause  shall  never  fail.  It  is  ever  worthy.  Again, 
I  lift  you,  O  Cup,  and  see  Esteem  on  your  label. 
That,  I  hang  about  the  neck  of  the  steed,  Purpose, 
on  which  I  ride  into  the  thick  of  the  fray.  And 
when  the  fight  is  done,  when  I  come  to  hand  over 
the  sword  to  another,  may  there  still  be  another 
drop  of  wine  left  in  you  to  cheer  me  across  the 
river  into  the  great  Unknown — the  drop  of  con- 
solation, of  duty  well  done.  Then  my  revenge 
will  be  complete.  Friends,  all,  I  thank  you." 

If  there  had  been  thoughts  of  lightness  and  folly, 
they  were  dissipated.  With  his  wife  and  children 
about  him,  with  his  hand  hurting  from  the  many 
grasps  of  friends,  with  words  of  praise  in  his 
ears  and  a  great  joy  in  his  heart,  Senator  Miller 
drove  home  from  the  last  meeting  of  the  Club 
he  would  attend  until  the  great  arm  of  the  law 
should  be  invoked  to  assist  education  in  the  de- 
struction of  the  greatest  evil  that  has  ever  be- 
fallen the  human  race. 


248  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    CYCLONE. 

That  graphic  sentence  in  the  story  of  Job  is 
the  tersest  account  of  a  cyclone  ever  written: 
"While  thy  sons  and  thy  daughters  were  eating 
and  drinking  wine  in  the  eldest  brother's  house, 
there  came  a  great  wind  from  the  wilderness 
and  smote  the  four  corners  of  the  house,  and  it 
fell  upon  the  young  men  and  they  are  dead,  yea 
and  the  servants  also,  and  I  escaped  alone  to  tell 
thee."  It  is  easy  for  one  who  has  seen  a  cyclone 
to  imagine  the  darkness,  the  terror,  the  sudden 
destruction,  and  the  final  downpour  of  rain  when 
that  oriental  palace  was  destroyed  by  the  Prince 
of  the  power  of  the  air  who  was  trying  to  move  the 
patriarch  to  curse  God  to  his  face. 

The  cyclone  season  in  the  Southwest  is  sup- 
posed to  begin  with  the  March  equinox ;  but  his- 
tory proves  that  one  may  sweep  over  the  coun- 
try any  time  from  January  to  July ;  and  the  fur- 
ther removed  from  the  cyclone  period,  the  more 
devastating  the  storm  proves.  Every  home  has 
its  "cyclone  cellar"  or  "storm  house,"  built  on 
the  south  side  or  west  side  of  the  dwelling,  so 
that  the  family  can  get  into  the  underground 
refuge  when  the  sorm  is  coming,  and  there  will 
be  no  danger  of  the  house  falling  on  the  door  of 
the  place  of  retreat,  because  the  cyclones  always 
come  from  the  southwest.  Most  people  in  that 
section  would  as  much  think  of  doing  without  a 
well  of  water  as  without  a  storm-house. 


JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS  249 

Tamalpias  was  out  of  the  general  track  of  cy- 
clones and  storms,  and  many  scoffed  at  the  idea 
of  building-  storm-houses.  A  few,  however,  who 
had  lived  where  the  storm  is  no  respector  of  per- 
sons, had  large  cellars  walled  with  concrete.  As 
year  after  year  passed  by  and  no  storm  had  ever 
come  that  gave  them  just  cause  to  retire  to  such 
a  covert,  they  became  convinced  that  their  labor 
and  expense  had  been  for  naught. 

The  winter  had  been  very  mild  and  open,  and 
the  range  grass  was  already  springing  up.  Early 
gardens  were  yielding  vegetables,  and  crops 
were  being  planted.  One  or  two  pioneers  shook 
their  heads  and  said:  "This  he-er  spell  is 
nawthin'  but  a  weather  breeder.  I  'member  it 
was  jes'  sich  a  spell  when  that  ar  twister  cum 
along  'at  blowed  Jake  Ming's  house  and  barn  in- 
ter kingdom  come  over  in  Grayson  County,  an' 
'en  went  on  an'  blowed  Sidell  offen  the  map.  I 
wouldn't  be  surprised  if  the  Valley  don't  get  a 
'shakin'  up  afore  Easter." 

It  was  the  second  day  of  March,  and  the  warm, 
bright  morning  had  induced  the  housewives  to 
put  the  bedding  and  spring  clothes  out  to  sun. 
Houses  were  open,  chickens  were  cackling  about 
the  barns,  men  were  in  the  fields,  children  were 
at  school,  and  everything  seemed  tranquil  and 
reminded  Doctor  McConnell  of  his  favorite 
poem,  "Peaceful  Valley."  About  ten  o'clock, 
the  air  became  murky,  making  the  sun  look  red 
like  a  ball  of  fire.  A  deathly  stillness  fell  on  all 
nature,  and  the  noisy  hens  stopped  their  sing- 
ing and  cackling,  and  huddled  near  their  shelter. 


250  JIM    MILLEK'S    GIRLS 

Even  the  negroes,  singing  at  their  work,  became 
mute.  Only  an  occasional  whinny  from  a  mare, 
separated  from  her  colt,  broke  the  stillness.  The 
cows  came  back  from  the  pastures,  and  the  mur- 
kiness  increased  until  the  sun  was  entirely  hid- 
den. The  temperature  increased,  and  those  who 
were  watching  the  change  taking  place,  freely 
prophesied  a  "norther."  Greedy  farmers  hung 
tc  their  plows,  anxious  to  get  the  most  advantage 
of  the  season.  Women  left  their  bedding  and 
clothes  out,  thinking  it  would  be  a  "dry"  norther, 
if  one  came  at  all,  and  the  school-teachers  only 
scowled  at  the  gloom  that  made  their  rooms 
almost  too  dark  for  the  pupils  to  read. 

Dr.  Patterson,  driving  his  car  like  the  wind, 
was  going  to  see  a  patient  living  twenty  miles 
north  of  Tamalpias.  He  reached  a  high  ridge 
from  which  he  could  see  the  country  for  many 
miles  in  three  directions,  and  was  appalled  at  the 
sight  that  caught  his  eye.  Due  south  of  his  po- 
sition, he  could  see  the  great  funnel-shaped  cloud 
that  was  slowly  moving  in  the  direction  of  the 
quiet  valley.  Stopping  his  car,  he  watched  the 
demon-cloud  tearing  its  way  through  farms  and 
mesquite  bushes.  As  he  looked,  he  located  a 
ranch-house  on  Senator  Miller's  ranch,  and, 
within  a  moment,  it  was  snatched  up,  torn  to 
splinters,  and  was  flying  in  the  ever-widening 
circles  of  the  upper  part  of  that  swirling  vacuum. 

The  cyclone  was  within  two  miles  of  Tamal- 
pias, and  Dr.  Patterson,  not  heeding  the  admo- 
nition of  judgment,  turned  his  machine  and  was 
soon  racing  back.  He  knew  that  he  would  be 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  251 

too  late  to  give  warning;  but  he  also  reasoned 
that  death  and  destruction  would  be  left  in  the 
path  of  the  storm,  and  he  would  be  needed.  The 
hills  that  enclosed  the  valley  made  the  last  three 
miles  of  his  return  very  slow.  The  suction, 
caused  by  the  passing  storm,  almost  turned  .his 
machine  over;  but  he  drove  on,  impelled  by  the 
thought  that  lives  were  being  crushed  out  right 
before  him.  As  he  came  into  the  valley,  a  mile 
north  of  town,  he  was  disconcerted  by  the  sight 
he  saw,  and  lost  control  of  the  automobile. 

Darkness  like  that  of  Egypt  was  being  pushed 
close  to  the  ground  in  front  of  the  vortex  and 
about  it,  while  following  its  track,  the  gray  rain- 
clouds  came  on  like  somber  mourners  dropping 
their  tears  on  the  wreckage  of  lives  and  prop- 
erty, ^he  roar  was  deafening,  and  the  wind  was 
rushing  toward  the  center  of  the  disturbance 
with  such  force  that  the  onlooker  had  to  take 
shelter  behind  a  boulder  that  jutted  out  from  the 
hill.  The  terror  was  augmented  by  the  incess- 
ant display  of  lightning  and  the  sharp  claps  of 
thunder. 

As  Dr.  Patterson  felt  his  machine  go  into  the 
bank,  he  cut  off  the  power,  and  thus  escaped 
being  seriously  hurt,  although  the  machine  was 
badly  wrecked.  He  did  not  wait  to  examine  it ; 
for  the  wind  was  almost  whipping  the  clothes 
from  his  body.  Hastily  taking  refuge  behind  the 
friendly  boulder,  he  watched  the  cloud  take  a 
sudden  downward  swoop  and  strike  the  outskirts 
of  Tamalpias.  The  darkness  now  blotted  out  all 
except  the  outlines  of  the  tallest  buildings;  but 


252  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

he  could  tell  that  the  track  lay  west  of  £Ke  busi- 
ness section  and  that  the  hungry  demon  would 
take  its  heaviest  toll  from  the  best  residential 
portion,  and  the  public  school-buildings.  The 
churches,  too,  would  be  struck.  He  shivered  as 
he  thought  of  the  death-list  and  the  wrecked 
homes  of  the  people.  Even  as  he  shivered,  he 
saw  the  flying  timbers  and  roofs  come  up  out  of 
the  darkness  like  timbers  and  boats  from  a  sunk- 
en ship,  and  then  be  caught  by  the  upper  cur- 
rents and  shoot  through  space  in  the  general  di- 
rection of  the  storm.  Distinctly,  he  saw  the  spire 
and  part  of  the  roof  of  the  Methodist  church 
lifted,  as  a  child  might  lift  the  lid  from  a  "Noah's 
Ark,"  and  go  hurtling  after  the  cabins  of  the 
negro  section  first  struck.  Then,  he  saw  a  who!e 
house  rise  and  ride  for  a  few  moments  before  it 
went  to  pieces  like  a  soap-bubble.  On  and  on 
went  the  death-dealing  storm,  mowing  every- 
thing in  its  path  as  wheat  falls  before  the 
mowing-machine. 

Drury  found  himself  standing  in  the  torrents 
of  rain,  torn  between  his  grief  over  the  disaster, 
his  thankfkulness  that  the  Miller  house,  was  evi- 
dently safe,  and  his  impotence  to  get  to  town  im- 
mediately and  be  of  service  in  taking  care  of  the 
wounded.  He  found  his  way  to  the  wrecked 
car,  and  got  his  uninjured  case.  Then,  he  began 
to  run  through  the  mud,  rain,  and  wind.  The 
creek  lay  between  him  and  his  destination ;  but  it 
was  not  yet  swollen  so  much  that  he  could  not 
wade  it.  Beyond  the  creek,  the  road  had  been 
built  of  crushed  rock,  and  his  speed  increased. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  253 

He  was  among  the  first  to  reach  the  strip  of 
wreckage,  and  was  quick  to  note  that  the  school-  ' 
building  had  barely  escaped.  With  a  muttered 
thanksgiving,  he  ran  on  until  he  came  to  a  large 
residence  that  had  collapsed  and  was  pitched 
over  the  premises  in  a  distorted  pile.  The  trees 
were  either  stripped  or  blown  down ;  but  most  of 
the  floor  of  the  residence  was  still  intact.  He 
saw  a  bed  still  standing  on  the  floor,  and,  run- 
ning, to  it,  found  the  covers  undisturbed.  He 
had  waited  at  this  very  bedside  the  night  before 
until  a  young  life  had  been  put  into  the  hands  of 
a  pair  of  happy  young  parents.  He  had  uncanny 
feelings  as  he  approached  it  now ;  for  he  was  sure 
that  mother  and  baby  must  be  dead.  As  he 
reached  out  his  hand  to  lay  back  the  cover,  the 
quilt  was  pushed  aside,  and  the  pale,  but  smiling 
face  of  the  mother  appeared.  On  her  arm  lay 
the  baby,  sleeping,  protected  from  the  rain  by  the 
pillow  that  had  been  beneath  its  mother's  head. 
Drury  drew  back  awestruck;  but  the  mother 
laughed  nervously,  and  said: 

"O  Doctor,  I  prayed  to  God,  and  He  heard  me 
and  delivered  me  and  my  child  from  the  'de- 
struction that  wasteth  at  noonday,'  according  to 
His  promise." 

"Where  is  your  husband?" 

"He  picked  up  my  invalid  mother  and  carried 
her  to  the  storm-house.  I  hope  he  got  there  safe. 
The  house  must  have  fallen  on  the  door,  so  he 
could  not  come  back  to  me." 

"No,  the  house  fell  the  other  way ;  but  a  tree 


254  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

has  fallen  on  the  storm-house,  and  I  am  sure 
they  are  safe.  I  will  see." 

He  called  through  the  air-stack,  and  found  that 
both  were  safe  in  the  shelter;  he  assured  the  hus- 
band of  the  safety  of  his  wife  and  child,  and  has- 
tened to  get  help  to  release  the  prisoners,  and  to 
carry  the  helpless  to  shelter. 

At  the  church-site,  he  found  several  persons 
who  had  been  on  their  way  home,  and  had  taken 
shelter  there.  The  building,  a  substantial  frame, 
had  been  blown  from  its  foundation,  and  the  walls 
had  fallen  when  the  roof  had  been  blown  off. 
Part  of  the  refugees  had  perished,  and  others 
were  wounded  and  maimed.  The  stone  church 
was  a  block  away,  and  had  been  just  outside  the 
track  of  the  cyclone.  It  was  thrown  open  for  use  as 
an  emergency  hospital,  and  there  they  carried  the 
injured  and  the  dead.  Boards  and  mattresses 
were  laid  on  top  of  the  pews  along  the  aisles,  and 
doctors  and  women  bound  up  cuts  and  bruises ; 
held  dying  heads,  amputated  crushed  limbs,  and 
restored  those  who  had  been  shocked  into 
blessed  unconsciousness. 

Dixie  was  on  the  scene  as  quickly  as  she  could 
get  her  father's  car  out  of  the  garage  and  run  it 
the  short  mile  that  intervened  between  the  subur- 
ban home  and  the  devastated  portion  of  the 
beautiful  city-of-the-valley.  She  was  the  only 
trained  nurse  there,  and  there  were  not  doctors 
enough  to  take  care  of  the  many  injured ;  so  she 
put  her  training  and  observation  into  practice, 
and  was  soon  sewing  up  cuts,  setting  broken 
bones,  and  stanching  bleeding  wounds  like  a  real 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  255 

doctor.  Marvin  Harris  had  not  been  in  the 
storm,  but  was  severely  hurt  by  a  falling  wall 
while  rescuing  an  old  man,  who  was  pinned 
down  by  some  timbers.  He  was  carried  in  en  a 
stretcher,  and  Dixie  waited  on  him.  When  she 
had  bandaged  his  broken  arm,  and  had  sewed  up 
the  gash  in  his  scalp,  he  told  her  that  she  was  a 
great  woman,  and  be  wished  from  his  heai't  that 
Dr.  Patterson's  parentage  would  be  discovered 
so  they  would  marry  and  be  happy  as  they  de- 
served to  be.  It  was  the  final  word  that  made 
them  better  friends  than  she  had  ever  hoped  they 
could  be. 

Word  was  brought  to  Drury,  again  and  again, 
that  his  cottage  had  been  blown  from  the  foun- 
dation and  wrecked;  but  he  ret  ised  to  stop  his 
work  of  relief  to  look  after  his  own  fortunes.  All 
through  the  day,  the  doctors  worked,  and  into 
the  night.  He  was  the  youngest  doctor  among 
them,  and  he  insisted  on  staying  at  the  church 
all  night.  Part  of  the  injured  ones  had  been  re- 
moved to  near-by  residences;  but  it  would  re- 
quire the  constant  presence  of  a  skilled  doctor  at 
the  church.  Dixie,  and  many  of  the  men  and 
women  stayed  also.  Three  of  the  most  seriously 
injured  died  during  the  night,  and  others  \vere 
thrown  into  fever  and  second  shock. 

The  rain  had  ceased  and  the  sky  was  clear 
when  the  morning  broke.  The  air  was  crisp  and 
cold,  and  it  was  hard  to  realize  what  had  hap- 
pened within  twenty-four  hours.  One  could 
stand  at  the  railroad  and  look  at  the  track  of  the 
storm,  one  hundred  yards  wide  and  a  mile  long, 


256  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

and  not  a  building  could  be  seen  standing  up- 
right. Many  were  missing  altogether,  and  some 
were  scattered  for  blocks.  The  rescuing  party 
had  recovered  all  the  bodies  except  two,  and  they 
had  been  burned  in  the  wreckage  of  the  home 
they  had  lived  in  for  many  years.  Other  fires 
would  have  added  to  the  terror  of  it  all,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  pelting  rain  that  had  quenched 
many  a  blaze. 

The  night-watchers  were  relieved  at  sunrise  by 
those  who  had  taken  some  rest,  and  Drury  and 
Dixie  walked  to  the  ruins  of  his  home,  three 
blocks  from  the  church.  It  had  been  a  beautiful 
cottage;  now,  it  lay  a  crumpled,  twisted,  broken 
mass  of  white  and  green  splinters. 

"Oh,  it  is  just  too  bad,  isn'tjt  ?"  cried  Dixie. 

"It  is  bad,  all  right;  but  think  of  those  who 
have  lost  more.  I  can  rebuild  all  this,  but  3ome 
of  them  have  lost  parents,  and  children,  and  ccm- 
panions,  and  others  have  lost  homes  they  will 
never  be  able  to  rebuild.  Oh,  what  a  terrible 
time  it  has  been !" 

"Yes,  I  thought  the  plague,  last  winter,  was 
bad  enough,  but  this  is  the  most  suffering  I  ever 
saw." 

They  entered  the  lawn  over  the  fence  that  was 
flat  on  the  ground,  and  found  their  way 
through  the  tangled  trees  and  shrubbery  to  the 
broken  walls  of  the  cottage.  Drury  crawled 
through  a  broken  window  and  called  to  Dixie  to 
come  after  him.  It  was  the  room  in  which  Mrs. 
Patterson  had  died,  and  the  bed  on  which  she 
had  lain  was  crushed  under  the  broken  planks 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  257 

and  the  bricks  and  mortar  of  a  fallen  chimney. 
Some  of  the  bricks  had  struck  the  desk  and  caved 
the  top  in.  Pictures  were  gone  from  the  walls, 
and  the  door  to  a  closet  was  wrenched  from  its 
hinges.  A  trunk  was  showing  through  the  open 
door,  and  Drury  pulled  it  out. 

"This  is  my  mother's  trunk,"  he  said,  "It  is 
about  to  fall  to  pieces.  I  suspect  I  had  better 
take  it  and  the  desk  outside,  before  the  walls  fall 
on  them  and  finish  their  destruction." 

Suiting  his  actions  to  his  words,  he  began  to 
drag  the  trunk  across  the  uneven  floor,  when  it 
literally  fell  to  pieces.  Its  contents  were  a  sur- 
prise to  both  of  them.  A  complete  baby's  ward- 
robe was  exposed,  and  it  was  so  dainty  and  elab- 
orate that  Dixie  gave  a  little  cry  of  surprise  as 
she  gathered  it  up  in  her  arms.  Little  red  shoes 
and  bootees,  lace  caps  and  embroidered  flannels, 
white  dresses  and  silk  stockings  that  would 
delight  any  mother  on  earth  were  there  in  abun- 
dance. Drury  was  pulling  out  of  the  mass  other 
finery — that  of  a  woman.  Such  clothes  as  he  had 
never  seen  Mrs.  Patterson  wear,  the  clothes  of  a. 
grand  lady,  and  with  them  jewelry  and  trinkets 
that  were  strange  to  him.  Then,  a  few  things  that 
he  recognized  as  the  rather  plain  clothes  of  his  fos- 
ter-mother. 

Dixie's  womanly  intuition  told  her  these  were 
the  baby-garments  the  woman  had  talked  of  in 
her  delirium — the  garments  she  had  coveted  on 
that  mysterious  trip  up  the  river.  She  was  hold- 
ing in  her  arms  the  clothes  that  loving  mother- 
hands  had  made  for  this  man  she  loved.  Then, 


258  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

the  thought  came  that  perhaps  they  were 
marked.  She  dropped  the  lot  and  bent  over  them, 
examining  a  skirt. 

"Oh,  look!"  she  cried,  "Look,  Drury,  look! 
"Here  is  the  name — 'McPherson !'  " 

"What's  that!"  And  Drury  dropped  the  clothes 
he  held  so  reverently,  and  took  the  skirt  from  the 
hands  of  the  excited  girl. 

"McPherson."  He  turned  the  garment  over 
and  around,  as  if  in  search  of  information.  "Mc- 
Pherson," he  said  again.  "I  never  heard  them 
speak  of  any  one  of  that  name.  What  can  it 
mean  ?" 

"O  can't  you  understand,  Drury?  These  are 
your  clothes,  and  that  is  your  name — Drury  Mc- 
Pherson !" 

"No,  surely  that  can  not  be." 

"But  it  is,  I  am  sure."  Then,  she  flew,  to  the 
dresses  he  had  dropped  and  began  to  examine  the 
wardrobe. 

"Yes,  here  it  is  again,  as  plain  as  can  be,  and  in 
the  same  writing  with  black  indelible  ink,  'Mc- 
Pherson,' and  these  are  your  mother's — your 
own  mother's  clothes.  O  Drury,  I  am  so  excited 
I  do  not  know  what  to  do.  We  have  found  out 
your  name !" 

"Not  too  fast,  little  girl.  We  must  have  more 
than  circumstantial  evidence  or  surmises.  I  must 
know  positively  who  I  am  and  what  I  am.  Let 
us  keep  this  to  ourselves  until  I  know  certainly 
that  I  have  a  right  to  the  name,  and  that  it  is 
more  worthy  than  the  one  I  now  bear." 

He  turned  to  drag  the    desk  from    its  corner. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS,  259 

Dumping  it  over  on  its  side  to  knock  the  dust 
and  mortar  from  it,  he  received  a  second  shock. 
The  whole  top,  crushed  by  the  bricks,  fell  to  the 
floor,  and  revealed  a  secret  drawer  that  was  hid- 
den by  the  moulding  that  finished  the  top  of  the 
desk.  Numerous  papers  fluttered  across  the 
floor,  and  a  book  tumbled  out.  Dixie  was  ar- 
ranging the  clothes  in  a  suitable  stack,  and  did 
not  notice  what  had  happened.  Drury  did  not 
call  her  attention  to  his  find  at  once,  for  he  want- 
ed to  know  what  it  was  first.  Opening  the  book, 
he  read  on  the  title  page : 

"To  relieve  my  burdened  conscience  I  have 
here  set  down  the  events  that  have  been  burned 
into  my  memory  like  letters  of  fire.  Not  being 
allowed  to  talk  to  Mr.  Patterson  about  them,  and 
thinking  of  them  continually  has  almost  upset 
my  mind,  but  I  must  tell  these  things,  if  only  to 
a  book.  Should  this  chronicle  ever  be  found,  it 
is  to  be  turned  over  to  Drury  Patterson,  my  fos- 
ter-child. And  I  hope  it  will  be  the  means  of  his 
happiness,  even  though  he  hate  me  for  the  part  I 
have  taken  in  the  tragedy  of  his  life." 

His  nervousness  was  so  great,  and  the  groan 
that  escaped  his  lips  was  so  audible,  that  Dixie 
heard  it  and  was  at  his  side  in  a  moment. 

"What  is  it  now,  dear?"  she  asked. 

"O  Dixie,  I  am  about  to  know  the  truth  of  my 
birth  and  parentage,  and  I  am  so  nervous.  Won't 
you  read  it  to  me,  dear?"  And  he  handed  her 
the  book. 

Her  excitement  was  as  great  as  his,  but  it  was 
the  excitement  of  joy  and  relief.  His  was  still 
full  of  anxiety. 


260  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Come"  she  said,  after  glancing  through  the 
book ;  "it  will  take  an  hour  to  read  this ;  let  us  go 
to  your  office." 

So  they  gathered  up  the  papers,  having  put 
away  the  clothes,  and  went  to  Drury's  office  to 
read  the  story  both  had  been  wanting  to  know 
for  so  long. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  261 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MRS.  PATTERSON'S  JOURNAL. 

As  Drury  and  Dixie  entered  the  office  and 
passed  to  Drury 's  private  room,  both  knew  they 
were  about  to  come  face  to  face  with  an  hour 
pregnant  with  possibilities  and  revelations  that 
would  affect  their  happiness  for  a  lifetime.  Drury 
was  more  nervous  than  ever,  and  his  impatience 
to  know  the  facts  was  overtopped  only  by  his 
half-acknowledged  fear  that  the  facts  would  not 
be  entirely  welcome.  He  would  prefer  to  remain 
a  nameless  waif,  doomed  to  a  life  of  lonely  ser- 
vice, rather  than  to  find  that  he  was  the  child  of 
undesirable  parents.  Dixie  pushed  back  the 
light-brown  hair  from  his  forehead,  and  kissed 
him  there  as  she  said  brightly: 

"Cheer  up,  Drury,  dear.  You  look  more  as  if 
I  was  going  to  read  a  sentence  of  death  than  a 
birthright.  Smile  for  me,  just  once,  and  then  I 
will  read." 

"How  can  I  smile,  when  it  may  be  worse  than 
a  death-warrant?  Go  on  and  read  it,  and  per- 
haps I  shall  smile  then." 

"But,  O  Drury!  Your  sunny  smile  always 
helped  others.  So  many  times  you  used  to  say 
'cheer  up,  the  worst  is  yet  to  come,'  and  the 
worst  perplexed  boy  or  girl  would  smile.  Come, 
I  won't  begin  until  you  smile.  There,  that  is 
better.  Now,  I  can  read."  Then,  she  began : 

"How  am  I  to  begin  this  story  that  has  been 


262  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

like  a  millstone  about  my  neck  for  so  many 
years?  I  have  never  been  a  good  writer,  even  of 
letters,  and  shrink  from  setting-  down  here  the 
things  that,  written  by  an  able  pen,  might  be 
called  a  story  indeed.  I  suspect  it  would  be 
better  for  me  to  go  back  to  my  childhood  and 
tell  the  whole  thing.  I  was  born  of  poor  parents, 
named  Warren,  in  an  humble  home  in  the  State 
of  North  Carolina.  When  I  was  nine  years  old, 
the  family  moved  to  Mississippi,  where  I  grew 
to  womanhood.  While  poor,  my  parents  were 
devout  Christians,  and  honest,  patriotic  citizens. 
My  sister,  Martha,  married  a  cotton-buyer  who 
lived  in  Memphis,  and  I  visited  her  several  times. 
It  was  on  one  of  these  visits  that  I  met  John 
Patterson.  I  loved  him  from  the  very  start. 
None  of  my  relatives  had  ever  used  whiskey, 
but  his  drink  did  not  appear  to  hurt  him.  I 
rather  liked  the  effect  it  had  on  him.  He  was 
more  courtly  and  gallant  when  he  was  drinking, 
and  he  never  appeared  to  be  intoxicated,  or 
drunk,  as  some  would  call  it.  My  brother,  Basil, 
seriously  objected  to  my  engagement  to  Mr. 
Patterson,  and  aroused  the  opposition  of  my 
sister  and  my  parents.  That  only  increased  my 
determination  to  marry  him,  and  we  were  mar- 
ried by  a  minister,  at  his  residence.  Mr.  Patter- 
son was  always  kind  to  me,  and  we  lived  in 
better  style  than  I  had  been  used  to.  We  went 
to  Georgia  and  visited  his  people  for  a  time; 
then,  we  returned  to  Memphis,  where  Mr.  Pat- 
terson had  some  kind  of  business.  He  never 
told  me  what  it  was.  Then,  my  baby  came.  He 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  263 

was  a  pretty  boy,  and  I  was  happy.  I  idolized 
him,  and  Mr.  Patterson  could  not  go  to  his  work 
for  sitting  and  holding  the  baby.  He  was  so 
changed  in  his  manners  and  appearance,  and  he 
did  not  drink  for  two  months.  We  named  the 
baby  John  Gorman,  after  Mr.  Patterson  and  my 
father.  When  little  Jack,  as  his  father  nick- 
named him,  was  two  months  old,  we  went  to 
New  Orleans  to  attend  Mardi  Gras.  I  could  not 
enjoy  the  festivities  for  spending  the  time  on  my 
baby.  I  would  sit  in  the  hotel  and  study  the 
way  other  babies'  clothes  were  made,  and  wish 
I  knew  how  to  make  them  like  that  for  my  baby. 
An  inordinate  desire  to  see  him  decked  out  in 
finery  possessed  me,  and  I  bought  a  lot  of  goods 
and  laces,  which  I  expected  to  have  made  for 
him  when  I  returned  to  Memphis. 

"At  last,  the  day  came  for  our  return.  The 
excursion  was  over ;  but  a  great  many  people  had 
remained  in  the  city  as  we  had  done,  and  the 
boat  we  embarked  on  was  crowded  with  pas- 
sengers. Our  stateroom  was  near  that  of  a  man 
and  his  wife  who  had  a  baby  just  the  age  of  Jack, 
and  the  two  looked  so  much  alike  that  the  ladies 
remarked  about  it  several  times.  Even  Mrs. 
McPherson,  for  that  was  the  lady's  name,  said  to 
me  that  she  had  never  seen  two  babies  look  so 
much  alike.  I  did  not  think  so,  for  I  thought  my 
baby  looked  more  robust  than  the  other.  The 
McPherson  baby  was  named  Drury,  and  they 
called  him  Du.  It  was  not  his  looks  that  I  ad- 
mired so  much,  but  the  clothes  he  wore.  I  never 
had  seen  such  embroidery  and  dainty  baby- 


264  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

things  in  my  life.  Every  time  she  came  out  of 
her  stateroom,  she  had  a  different  dress  on  little 
Du.  That  made  me  jealous,  and  I  did  not  keep 
my  baby  in  the  salon  more  than  I  was  compelled 
to.  I  coveted  those  dresses.  God  only  knows 
how  much  I  coveted  them. 

"That  night,  I  could  not  sleep,  for  I  was 
planning  to  dress  my  baby  so  that  he  would  out- 
shine any  baby  in  Memphis.  And  I  was  going 
to  buy  a  buggy  for  him  that  was  made  of  willow 
wickerwork.  It  was  after  midnight,  and  the  mo- 
notonous thud  of  the  engines  was  about  to  suc- 
ceed in  hypnotizing  me  into  a  light  sleep,  when 
I  heard  some  one  running  overhead.  Then  the 
clang  of  the  bell,  and  the  whistle  began  to  blow 
in  short  blasts.  The  cry  of  'Fire'  rang  out  from 
the  salon,  and  pistols  began  their  popping  reports 
to  awaken  the  passengers. 

"I  called  to  Mr.  Patterson,  who  was  sleeping  in 
the  upper  berth,  and  hastily  threw  on  a  wrapper, 
and,  catching  up  my  baby,  ran  out  into  the  cabin. 
The  fire  was  in  the  rear  end  of  the  boat,  and  I 
could  see  the  flames  eating  through  the  walls  not 
twenty  feet  away.  My  first  thought  was  to  save 
my  trunk  with  all  the  pretty  goods  I  had  bought, 
and  I  told  Mr.  Patterson  to  get  it  and  have  it  ready 
to  throw  overboard,  if  we  were  not  able  to  land 
before  the  boat  sank.  The  cabin  was  filling  with 
excited  passengers,  and  I  saw  the  McPhersons 
emerge  from  their  stateroom  with  the  baby  in 
his  nightgown.  Mrs.  McPherson  saw  John  drag- 
ging our  trunk,  and  she  begged  her  husband  to 
get  theirs.  I  remember  thinking  at  the  time  that 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  265 

we  were  the  only  ones  trying  to  save  our  trunks. 

"The  fire  was  lighting-  up  the  river,  and  we 
could  see  that  we  were  still  quite  a  distance  from 
the  east  shore,  toward  which  the  boat  was 
headed.  All  the  passengers,  very  naturally,  gath- 
ered on  the  side  of  the  boat,  in  spite  of  the  at- 
tempt of  the  officers  to  make  them  stay  back 
from  the  guard-rail.  The  crowd  was  so  large  that 
their  weight  made  the  boat  run  lopsided,  and  the 
engineer  must  have  lost  control  of  the  steering 
device ;  for  we  soon  found  the  vessel  turned  with 
her  prow  down-stream.  Then,  the  fire  drove  the 
men  from  the  engine-room,  and  we  were  adrift 
on  the  burning  boat.  The  panic  was  fearful. 
Men  leaped  into  the  water  and  swam  toward 
shore,  women  screamed,  and  babies  cried.  Chil- 
dren got  lost  from  parents,  and  pandemonium 
seemed  to  be  turned  loose.  I  clung  to  Mr.  Pat- 
terson and  told  him  to  hang  to  the  trunk  until 
he  could  crowd  to  the  rail  and  throw  it  over- 
board. The  McPhersons  were  just  in  front  of 
us,  and  he  had  her  small  steamer-trunk  on  his 
shoulder. 

"I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  cursing  of 
the  wicked,  the  prayers  of  the  religious,  nor  the 
offers  of  the  rich  to  any  one  who  would  save 
them.  The  boats  were  lowered  from  the  upper 
decks  of  the  steamer,  and  a  great  fight  ensued, 
in  which  men  were  pushed  into  the  water,  and 
women  were  lifted  over  the  rail  to  men  below, 
who  put  them  into  the  boats.  Once  the  boats 
were  loaded,  they  were  rowed  quickly  to  the 
shore  and  deposited  the  refugees.  As  they  came 


266  JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS 

hurrying  back  to  get  others,  there  was  a  great 
crush  to  get  to  the  side  of  the  boat,  which 
had  been  anchored  to  keep  her  from  drifting 
down  the  stream.  I  was  almost  squeezed  to 
death,  and  Mrs.  McPherson  cried  with  pain. 
Just  then,  the  guard-rail  broke  and  we  were  all 
thrown  into  the  water.  I  suppose  it  was  my 
grasping  for  something  to  hold  to  that  caused 
me  to  drop  my  baby  as  I  fell.  Then,  I  held  to  a 
man's  coat,  and  some  one  was  holding  to  my 
gown.  Oh,  I  can  not  set  it  all  down  here!  I 
lived  almost  an  eternity  there  in  the  water.  I 
had  been  able  to  get  a  breath  or  two  of  air  by 
holding  on  to  the  man,  but  the  struggling  mass 
kept  my  head  under  the  water  part  of  the  time. 
I  was  on  the  surface  now,  and  my  face  blistered 
in  the  heat  as  we  drifted  by  the  burning  end  of 
the  boat,  which  had  again  swung  down-stream. 
Just  then,  I  saw  a  rope  thrown  from  a  row-boat, 
and  I  seized  it  with  both  hands.  At  almost  the 
same  instant,  a  babe,  wrapped  in  a  heavy  wool 
blanket,  floated  into  my  very  arms.  Instinct- 
ively, I  caught  hold  of  the  blanket,  and  we  were 
both  taken  into  the  boat,  and  I  was  afraid  I 
would  be  drowned  before  we  could  be  brought 
to  shore.  But  we  were  landed  safely.  The 
night  was  balmy,  and  the  men  built  a  fire  of  drift- 
wood. My  heart  beat  fast  as  I  undid  the  blanket 
to  see  what  kind  of  a  baby  I  had  in  my  arms, 
and  then  I  almost  screamed  aloud  as  I  saw  that 
it  was  little  Drury  McPherson." 

Dixie's  voice  choked,  and  she  stopped  reading 
to  recover.     Drury  was  sitting  low  down  in  his 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  267 

chair  with  both  hands  shoved  into  his  trouser 
pockets.  He  was  looking  as  stolid  as  an  Indian,  and 
Dixie  knew  he  was  gripping  himself  with  all  his 
will  power. 

"Go  on,  read  it,"  he  said,  without  a  movement 
of  any  kind.  And  she  resumed  the  story. 

"My  first  impulse  was  to  find  his  mother. 
Then,  the  wicked  thought  came  that  perhaps  she 
was  dead.  My  baby  was  gone  and  I  never  ex- 
pected to  see  it  again — if  she  was  not  found,  I 
would  claim  her  baby,  and  I  would  find  his 
trunk  and  have  all  those  fine  clothes.  I  think  I 
was  crazy  that  night,  and  perhaps  I  have  been 
from  then  until  now.  Sometimes  I  think  it  is 
the  solution  of  it  all.  Little  Du  was  in  his  night- 
robe — a  plain  little  one,  such  as  my  baby  wore. 
I  sat  there  by  the  fire  and  cried  over  the  loss  of 
little  Jack  until  the  morning  began  to  break. 
Somehow,  I  had  little  thought  of  Mr.  Patterson, 
and,  when  I  did  think  of  him,  I  was  sure  he  was 
safe.  And  he  was,  for  he  came  hunting  among 
the  rescued  people  for  me.  He  took  it  for  grant- 
ed that  it  was  our  baby  in  my  arms,  and  told  me 
he  had  landed  the  trunk  on  a  sand-bar  half  a 
mile  below  where  we  were  rescued.  He  confis- 
cated a  skiff  and  we  rowed  down  to  the  place  to 
get  the  trunk.  Men  were  recovering  what  bodies 
they  could,  and  they  had  several  laid  out  on  the 
sand.  I  felt  weak  and  sick,  and,  when  we  walked 
among  the  dead  and  I  came  to  the  body  of  a  lady 
whom  I  recognized  as  Mrs.  McPherson,  even  be- 
fore I  saw  her  face,  I  fell  in  a  swoon. 

"When  I  opened  my  eyes  again,  I  was  lying 


268  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

under  a  tree  on  the  high  bank  overlooking  the 
sand-bar.  John  and  a  strange  lady  were  with 
me,  and  I  saw  the  baby,  wrapped  in  his  blanket, 
lying  beside  me.  The  trunk  I  prized  so  highly 
was  also  near.  I  was  weak  from  the  exposure 
and  strain,  but  I  begged  Mr.  Patterson  to  take 
me  back  to  the  shore  where  they  were  recover- 
ing property  and  bodies.  He  refused  at  first,  but 
finally  yielded  to  my  entreaties.  I  wanted  to  be 
sure  whether  my  baby  was  recovered  or  not,  and 
still  I  was  afraid  to  tell  him  what  had  happened. 
Mr.  McPherson  was  not  on  the  bar,  and  we 
heard  a  man  say  that  he  was  injured. 

"In  looking  about,  I  saw  the  small  steamer 
trunk,  with  the  letters,  'S.C.McP.',  on  the  end, 
and  I  knew  it  was  hers,  and  that  it  contained 
those  fine  clothes.  What  ever  possessed  me  to 
covet  those  clothes  like  that?  I  seemed  like  an- 
other person,  and  the  loss  of  my  own  baby  did 
not  seem  at  all  real.  If  only  I  could  have  this  baby 
and  his  fine  clothes,  and  could  get  away  where 
no  one  would  ever  take  him  from  me,  I  would 
be  satisfied.  I  called  Mr.  Patterson  aside  and 
told  him  what  had  happened.  He  refused  to  be- 
lieve it  until  he  saw  the  smiling  face  of  the  baby 
as  it  awakened  from  its  sleep.  He  sat  down 
there  on  the  sand  and  sobbed  like  a  schoolboy, 
and  refused  to  enter  into  my  scheme.  But  I  was 
desperate,  and  I  am  sure  now  that  the  fright  and 
exposure  gave  me  hysteria,  for  I  flew  into  a  tan- 
trum, and  when  he  saw  that  I  was  all  but  crazy, 
he  gave  up  and  went  for  the  trunk.  But  he  told 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  269 

me  that,  if  they  claimed  it,  he  would  see  that 
they  got  it  and  the  baby  too. 

"We  went  back  to  the  tree  where  my  trunk 
was,  and  I  succeeded  in  transferring  all  the  nice 
things  I  wanted,  to  it.  Then,  when  John  was 
gone  to  secure  a  place  for  us  to  stay  until  we 
could  get  transportation,  I  dragged  the  small 
trunk  down  the  bank  and  dumped  it  into  the 
river. 

"O  reader,  whoever  you  may  be,  do  not  judge 
me  too  harshly.  I  was  demented,  and  my  sin 
has  been  repented  of  ten  thousand  times.  My 
sin?  Which  was  the  greater  sin:  to  steal  the 
live  child  and  his  clothes,  or  to  so  quickly  transfer 
my  love  from  my  own  flesh  and  blood  to  the 
child  I  argued  a  kind  Providence  had  thrust  into 
my  arms?  Was  it  a  sin  of  my  heart  in  coveting 
the  finery?  Or  was  it  due  to  the  disordered  con- 
dition of  my  mind?  I  do  not  know.  But  I  do 
know  it  was  wrong,  and  yet  I  never  had  the 
courage  to  try  to  right  the  wrong.  Mr.  Patter- 
son would  have  corrected  the  matter  any  time 
during  the  first  year,  had  he  not  been  afraid  it 
would  send  me  to  the  madhouse.  And  it  would 
have  done  just  that.  After  that,  he  came  to  love 
the  child  in  his  own  way,  and  then  he  began  to 
fear  that,  if  we  were  found  out,  he  would  be  con- 
victed of  kidnapping.  That  settled  the  matter, 
and  we  began  to  travel  and  never  went  back  to 
that  section  of  the  country. 

"But  to  resume  my  story :  Mr.  Patterson  hired 
a  man  to  drive  us  to  a  town  five  miles  down  the 
river  that  day.  I  suspect  he  would  have  taken 


370  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

the  next  boat,  but  I  wanted  to  attend  the  funeral 
of  the  wreck  victims  the  next  day.  He  did  every- 
thing he  could  to  prevent  my  going-,  but  I  got  a 
lady  to  take  me  in  her  surrey.  I  left  the  babe 
with  John.  The  bodies  were  all  to  be  buried  in 
a  country  graveyard  four  miles  north  of  Branden. 
because  of  their  rapid  decomposition. 

"Thirty-three  graves  were  open,  and  there 
were  said  to  be  thirty-five  bodies — two  babes 
would  be  buried  with  their  mothers.  I  saw  Mr. 
McPherson  there  with  his  head  all  bandaged,  and 
his  arm  in  a  sling.  He  asked  for  his  wife's  cas- 
ket to  be  opened,  and  I  crept  near.  O  my  God ! 
There  lay  my  baby  Jack,  by  the  side  of  the  dead 
mother,  whose  child  I  had  rescued.  I  screamed 
out,  but  there  were  so  many  screaming  that  I  was 
unnoticed.  They  had  found  the  baby,  and  the 
poor  injured  father  had  easily  mistaken  it  for  his 
own.  Again,  I  lost  consciousness,  and,  when  I 
recovered,  the  funeral  was  over,  and  it  was  time 
to  drive  back. 

"I  waited  until  we  were  on  the  boat,  bound  for 
home,  to  tell  Mr.  Patterson  what  had  happened 
at  the  cemetery.  He  was  angry  with  me  for 
keeping  up  the  deception ;  but  I  was  more  deter- 
mined than  ever  to  keep  the  baby.  It  is  so  easy 
to  charge  God  with  helping  us  to  do  wrong.  I 
consoled  myself  with  the  thought  that  God  want- 
ed me  to  have  that  baby,  or  He  never  would 
have  cast  him  into  my  arms  in  that  miraculous 
way.  The  child  never  would  know  the  difference, 
and  it  was  not  long  until  I  loved  him  as  my  own. 

"Mr.   Patterson   must   have  found   out   some- 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  271 

thing  about  Mr.  McPherson,  for  he  became  rest- 
less and  wanted  to  move.  We  went  to  St.  Louis 
and  stayed  there  three  years.  Then,  we  went  to 
Cuba,  and  to  California.  He  took  to  drinking 
harder,  and  I  was  scared  when  he  would  come 
home  drunk ;  for  it  was  then  he  would  make  dire 
threats  of  what  he  would  do  to  me  if  I  ever  told 
anyone  about  the  boy.  We  called  him  Drury, 
because  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  call  him 
Jack. 

"At  last  the  news  came  to  us  that  Mr.  Patter- 
son's parents  were  dead,  and  that  he  was  to  have 
the  homestead  at  Tamalpias.  That  suited  us  both, 
for  we  were  sure  no  one  would  ever  find  out 
about  our  sin  over  there." 

Here  the  writing  had  ceased,  and  evidently  a 
long  period  of  time  had  passed  until  she  had 
turned  two  or  three  pages  and  begun  again. 

"Drury,  my  dear  boy,"  she  wrote,  "I  have  just 
come  from  putting  some  flowers  on  Mr.  Patter- 
son's grave.  It  has  been  a  sad  time  for  me.  I 
wish  I  could  bring  myself  to  tell  you  of  my 
crime  in  stealing  you  away  from  your  father. 
When  I  saw  your  fear  that  you  would  some  day 
be  like  John  Patterson,  I  came  very  near  telling 
you  all  about  it.  But  my  sin  has  made  me  such  a 
coward  that  I  could  not  bear  to  face  you  with 
the  story.  I  hope  you  will  find  this  book.  I  am 
going  to  leave  a  note  telling  you  how  to  open 
the  secret  drawer  to  this  desk,  which  my  father 
gave  me,  if  I  do  not  die  too  suddenly.  If  I  do 
not  do  that,  I  shall  trust  to  the  same  Providence 
that  put  you  in  my  arms  to  reveal  it  all  to  you  in 


272  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

His  own  good  time  and  way.  And  when  you 
do  find  out,  I  plead  with  you  to  love  me  just  a 
little,  and  to  forgive  me  for  what  I  have  done. 

"I  am  sure  I  will  not  live  much  longer.  This 
secret  is  a  cancer  that  is  gnawing  my  heart  out. 
You  are  now  a  great,  good  man,  and  you  do  not 
need  me  any  longer.  I  just  want  to  die.  I  am 
leaving  some  papers  in  this  same  drawer,  which  I 
found  in  your  mother's  trunk " 

Dixie  stopped  reading,  for  Drury  had  leaped 
to  his  feet  and  snatched  the  papers  from  her  lap. 
His  stoicism  was  gone,  and  his  excitement  was 
shaking  him  so  that  he  could  scarcely  read  the 
yellowed  documents.  One  was  a  marriage  cer- 
tificate attesting  to  the  marriage  of  Stephen  Car- 
lisle McPherson  to  Narcissa  Scott,  and  the  cere- 
mony had  been  performed  by  the  Rev.  T.  C. 
Teasdale,  at  Memphis,  Tennessee.  Another  was 
a  genealogy  of  Narcissa  Scott's  family  for  five 
generations  preceding  her,  and  there  was  the  date 
of  the  birth  of  Drury  Scott  McPherson,  at  Sa- 
vannah, Georgia,  and  the  date  was  the  one  Mrs. 
Patterson  had  taught  him  to  observe  as  the  anni- 
versary of  his  birth. 

As  he  read  this  last  paper,  Dixie  cried  out: 
"O  Drury,  you  have  the  blood  of  two  Governors 
in  your  veins,  and  of  several  of  the  greatest  men 
the  South  has  ever  produced !  Isn't  it  fine !"  And 
she  danced  about  the  floor  like  a  child  on  Christ- 
mas morning. 

There  was  another  paper  written  by  Mrs.  Pat- 
terson, which  contained  minute  directions  for 
finding  the  grave  of  his  mother  on  the  banks  of 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  273 

the  Mississippi  River.  When  he  had  finished  them 
all,  he  laid  them  on  the  table,  and  sat  down  with 
his  face  in  his  hands.  Who,  that  has  not  ex- 
perienced them,  can  describe  the  emotions  that 
filled  the  soul  of  this  man,  who  had  found  his 
mother,  but  found  her  dead  for  twenty-five 
years;  had  found  his  name,  and  the  probable 
right  to  marry  the  woman  he  loved ;  and  yet, 
who  must  fulfil  his  resolution  to  bring  to  his 
future  father-in-law  the  undoubted  proof  of  his 
ancestry  on  both  sides  of  his  family.  He  was 
worn  out  with  watching,  shaken  with  grief, 
proud  of  what  he  had  learned,  torn  with  his  love 
for  the  beautiful  woman  who  was  sharing  every- 
thing with  him,  and  filled  with  his  plans  for  find- 
ing his  father,  if  that  father  was  still  alive. 

He  arose  from  his  chair  with  a  real  smile  on 
his  face,  and  reached  his  arms  for  Dixie.  She 
went  to  him  with  a  happy  laugh. 

"Think  of  it,  darling,"  he  said,  "only  a  few 
short  weeks,  and  I  shall  have  the  joy  of  calling 
you  my  wife !  I  just  know  my  father's  family 
must  be  all  right ;  but  I  am  going  to  find  out.  I 
will  start  tomorrow." 

"God  bless  you,  dear  Drury,  my  fine,  strong 
man;  I  shall  not  eat  or  sleep  until  I  hear  from 
you.  You  must  wire  me  the  first  moment  you 
learn  the  truth.  Oh,  I  love  my  dear  Mr.  McPher- 
son !" 

"That  sounds  queer.  Let  us  still  call  it  Patter- 
son until  I  complete  my  title." 

"But  we  must  tell  dear  old  Dr.  McConnell, 
and  my  father!" 


274  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Yes,  we  shall  tell  them,  they  have  a  right  to 
know;  but  the  others  must  wait  a  short  while. 
I  shall  want  your  father  to  hear  it  from  me, 
though,  and  I  shall  go  by  the  Capitol  and  tell 
him  the  story.  I  shall  take  these  records  with  me, 
and  I  want  you  to  go  to  the  cottage  and  get  the 
clothing  that  must  have  been  my  mother's,  and  take 
care  of  it  for  me." 

"I  will,  and  the  little  dresses  she  made  for  you 
that  caused  Mrs.  Patterson  to  covet  them,  and 
then  to  steal  you." 

Then  they  went  and  told  Dr.  McConnell  to- 
gether, and  he  became  excited. 

"I  have  known  all  the  time  that  there  was 
something  wrong.  I  said  you  were  not  a  Pat- 
terson. You  may  have  looked  like  their  baby 
when  you  were  little ;  but  anybody  with  half 
sense  would  know  that  you  are  of  better  stock 
than  that  of  John  Patterson  and  his  wife. 

"Yes,  go.  Go  and  find  your  father,  and  bring 
him  here  that  we  may  know  him.  Bring  him 
here  to  attend  the  wedding,  for  it  must  be  right 
away." 

"Yes,  Dixie  has  promised  to  marry  me  the  very 
day  I  return  with  a  clean  pedigree,"  and  Drury 
kissed  the  hand  he  held. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  275 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

DR.  DRURY'S  QUEST. 

Drury  found  it  impossible  to  get  away  for  a 
week,  on  account  of  the  serious  injuries  of  so 
many  people.  All  the  doctors  were  kept  busy 
night  and  day  caring  for  the  stricken  citizens. 
Senator  Miller  and  Jack  came  home  by  the  first 
train  after  hearing  the  news,  and  the  former  was 
happy  over  Drury's  good  fortune  in  finding  out 
so  much  about  his  parents. 

The  long  week  passed,  finally,  and  Drury 
boarded  the  train  that  would  speed  him  on  his 
way  to  his  mother's  grave,  and  to — what? 

He  went  to  New  Orleans,  then  up  the  river  to 
the  little  village  of  Braden.  He  had  heard  of  the 
overflow  a  few  months  previous,  and  was  fearful 
that  the  village  had  been  washed  away.  A  fel- 
low passenger  set  his  mind  at  rest  on  the  matter 
before  his  journey  was  half  done,  by  telling  him 
that  the  town  was  safe,  and  that  the  cemetery  of 
which  he  spoke,  was  on  a  ridge  above  highwater 
mark. 

At  the  Braden  Hotel,  he  was  directed  to  a 
livery-stable,  where  he  secured  a  team  and  driv- 
er, and  was  soon  on  his  way  to  the  burying- 
ground.  It  was  late  afternoon,  and  the  mid- 
March  sun  shone  warmly  in  that  southern  clime. 
Everywhere,  the  signs  of  spring  were  abundant, 
and  the  farmers  were  working  in  the  upspringing 
crops.  The  driver  was  an  old  man,  and  he  re- 
membered the  wrecking  and  burning  of  the  Katie 


276  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Malone  as  though  it  had  been  yesterday.  Then, 
he  launched  into  his  oft-repeated  version  of  the 
accident,  and  how  he  had  helped  to  dig  the 
graves  of  the  victims.  Drury  did  not  ask  him 
about  his  mother's  grave.  He  was  afraid  to  do 
that  for  fear  it  would  be  found  neglected,  or  not 
found  at  all. 

On  their  arrival  at  the  cemetery,  he  was  sur- 
prised to  find  it  one  of  the  best-kept  graveyards 
he  had  ever  seen.  The  ground  was  clear  of  grass 
and  weeds,  and  the  walks  were  covered  with 
gravel,  and  bordered  with  large  shells  from  the 
river.  White  stakes  and  posts  marked  the  blocks 
and  lots,  and  each  one  was  numbered  with  black 
figures. 

"Yes,"  replied  his  driver,  in  answer  to  his  ex- 
clamation of  amazement,  "we  are  proud  of  our 
cemetery.  Old  Mr.  Hughes  has  the  books,  and 
he  can  tell  you  who  is  buried  in  each  and  every 
grave,  and  when  they  were  buried.  Come  on 
over  here  and  I'll  show  you  where  the  people  are 
laid  that  were  drowned  that  time  the  Katie  Malone 
went  down." 

He  led  Drury  to  one  side,  and  pointed  out  sev- 
eral graves  that  were  unmarked  save  by  a  white 
board  with  a  number  neatly  painted  on  it.  A  few 
of  the  graves  indicated  had  small  slabs  of  mar- 
ble ;  but  one,  farther  on,  had  a  tall  shaft  of  gray 
granite  over  it. 

"Whose  is  that  well-kept  grave  with  the  gran- 
ite monument?"  asked  Drury,  as  they  came  to 
the  line  of  graves. 

"That  is  the  grave  of  a  woman  and  child.  They 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  277 

put  the  child  in  her  arms ;  a  little  baby  a  month 
or  two  old.  Her  husband  was  almost  killed 
when  the  rail  broke  from  the  crowd  surging 
against  it.  He  comes  here  every  year  and  covers 
the  grave  with  flowers.  I  did  know  where  he 
conies  from,  but  I  have  forgotten ;  I  can't  re- 
member things  like  I  used  to.  Now  here  is 
where  they — " 

But  Drury  had  pushed  past  him,  and  was  hur- 
rying to  the  grave  that  he  was  sure  held  the 
body  of  his  own  mother.  Coming  to  it,  he  read 
the  inscription: 

"Narcissa  and  Drury, 
Wife  and  Infant 

Son  of 
S.  C.  McPherson. 

Died 
April 18 " 

There  was  a  short  poem  and  a  quotation  of 
Scripture.  That  was  all.  The  plants  and  flow- 
ers were  fresh-worked,  and  there  were  some  pot- 
plants  that  had  recently  been  placed  there.  The 
plot  was  surrounded  by  a  curb  of  granite,  and  on 
this  Drury  knelt  and  wept.  Nor  were  his  tears 
from  the  shallow  fountain  of  sentiment;  they 
were  from  the  deepest  emotions  of  his  manly 
soul.  Here  his  father  had  shed  tears  for  his  child 
as  well  as  for  his  young  wife.  -It  was  as  though 
he  wept  at  his  own  grave. 

The  driver  drew  near,  and  his  human  sympa- 
thy made  the  tears  run  over  his  seamed  face.  He 
wiped  his  face  with  a  rough  hand,  and  asked : 


278  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Mister,  or,  Doctor,  I  believe  you  told  us  you 
was,  is  it  some  of  your  kinfolks  that  we  laid  here 
twenty-five  years  ago?" 

"My  mother,"  he  managed  to  answer,  and  the 
word  relieved  him. 

"Why,  I  guess  you're  mistaken,  Doctor.  She 
only  had  one  child,  and  that  was  buried  with  her. 
I  remember  that  because  there  were  two  others 
buried  the  same  day,  and  none  of  them  had  but 
the  one  child." 

"But  it  was  another  baby  they  buried  with  my 
mother.  I  was  rescued  from  that  boat  by  an- 
other woman,  and  her  baby  was  mistaken  for 
me." 

"I  reckon  you  will  have  a  hard  time  making 
Judge  McPherson  believe  that.  He  saw  his 
child,  and  identified  it,  and  he  will  think  you 
have  come  along  trying  to  get  his  money  with  a 
story  like  that." 

"That  is  all  right,  my  good  man.  You  may 
drive  me  back  to  the  town,  now,  if  you  please. 
And  it  would  be  just  as  well  if  you  keep  all  this 
tc  yourself  until  I  find  my  father." 

At  the  hotel,  he  asked  to  see  the  register,  and 
the  clerk  was  able  to  turn  to  the  very  place  where 
Judge  McPherson  had  last  registered.  His  name 
was  written  in  a  bold  hand,  and  the  address  giv- 
en was  Atlanta,  Georgia.  Drury  learned  that  the 
sexton  of  the  cemetery  was  paid  a  stipulated  sum 
to  keep  Mrs.  McPherson's  grave,  and  that  the 
Judge  had  come  each  year,  until  the  last  two,  to 
see  it.  He  had  written  to  know  about  the  grave, 
and  had  explained  his  absence  by  saying  that  his 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  279 

duties  as  Judge  had  prevented  his  annual  trip. 

Again  Drury,  who  had  lived  more  in  twenty- 
five  years  than  many  men  live  in  seventy,  took 
up  his  jouney  in  quest  of  a  parentage  that  would 
not  only  give  him  a  father,  but  that  would  en- 
able him  to  take  unto  himself  a  wife  whom  he 
had  loved  for  eight  long  years.  It  was  night 
when  he  reached  the  city,  and  he  went  to  a  hotel 
and  to  bed.  He  was  weary  and  needed  the  rest, 
and  he  wanted  to  meet  his  father  when  he  was 
fresh  and  presentable.  The  night  did  wonders 
for  him.  He  felt  like  a  new  man  when  he  came 
from  his  morning  bath,  and  partook  of  a  whole- 
some breakfast.  From  a  city  directory,  he 
learned  his  father's  address,  and  was  starting  to 
take  a  car  when  he  reflected  that  it  would  be  bet- 
ter to  telephone  and  see  if  he  was  at  home.  Some 
one  replied  to  his  call,  and  said  that  the  Judge 
was  out  just  then,  but  would  be  at  home  at 
eleven  o'clock. 

The  time  passed  slowly  for  the  son  who  had 
never  looked  into  his  father's  face  since  an  in- 
fant. Tiring  of  the  hotel,  he  concluded  to  see  the 
city,  and  called  a  taxicab.  He  had  an  hour  and 
a  half,  and  he  told  the  driver  to  take  him  over  the 
prettiest  part  of  the  city  slowly  enough  that  he 
could  see  the  points  of  interest.  As  every 
Atlanta  driver  does  under  such  orders,  he  was 
taken  first  to  that  famous  boulevard,  Peach-Tree 
Street.  He  found  himself  repeating  the  words 
of  the  Queen  of  Sheba :  "The  half  has  not  been 
told,"  for  it  is  a  wonderful  sight  to  the  visitor. 
Then,  he  was  taken  through  parks  and  drives 


280  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

that  awakened  his  interest  to  such  a  pitch  that 
he  was  alarmed  when  he  opened  his  watch  and 
found  that  it  was  just  eleven.  Giving  the  driver 
instruction  to  drive  to  the  address  where  his 
father  lived,  he  leaned  back  and  began  to  worider 
what  the  parental  residence  would  be  like.  It  is 
a  strange  fact  that  he  had  not  once  tried  to  im- 
agine how  his  father  would  look.  When  he 
thought  of  him,  he  pictured  him  sitting  in  the 
crowded  graveyard  with  his  head  bandaged  and 
his  arm  in  a  sling. 

The  taxicab  stopped  before  a  beautiful  stone 
residence  with  a  tile  roof.  The  grounds  were 
spacious  and  well  kept,  and  two  pretty  fountains 
were  in  full  flow.  It  was  almost  a  fairyland  to  this 
man  of  the  hills  and  plains  of  the  West. 

A  negro  man,  in  olive-green  livery,  answered 
his  ring,  and  he  saw  at  once  that  a  card  was  ex- 
pected. Fortunately,  he  had  a  few  cards,  and  he 
quickly  gave  the  footman  one,  and  waited  until 
he  returned  and  bowed  him  into  the  hall. 

"Come  this  way.  The  Judge  is  in  the  library," 
said  the  servant. 

At  the  library  door,  he  bowed  low  and  stepped 
aside  for  Drury  to  enter.  At  a  table,  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  luxuriant  room,  sat  a  man  not  more 
than  fifty  years  old.  His  hair  was  almost  white, 
his  clean-shaven  face  was  noble,  kind,  and  yet 
full  of  sedateness  and  sternness  that  made  him  look 
venerable.  The  keen,  deep-set  eyes,  and  the  well- 
molded  nose  denoted  the  student,  while  his  large 
size  and  good  color  bespoke  robust  health.  He 
was  on  his  feet  in  a  moment.  "How  do  you  do, 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  281 

Doctor — "  glancing  at  the  card — "Doctor  Patter- 
son. Have  a  seat." 

"Thank  you,  Judge  McPherson." 

"I  believe  I  have  not  met  you  before.  Are  you 
a  stranger  in  the  city,  Doctor?" 

"I  arrived  last  night/' 

"I  take  it  that  you  have  come  to  see  me  on  pro- 
fessional business?" 

"Yes,  and  no.  I  want  to  ask  you  about  the  ac- 
cident to  the  Katie  Malone,  on  the  Mississippi 
River,  twenty-five  years  ago.  I  understand  you 
were  on  the  boat  that  night?" 

"I  was.  But  you  are  too  young  a  man  to  have 
been  there  also.  Perhaps  some  of  your  relatives 
were  lost  that  night?" 

"They  were.  My  mother  was  drowned  that 
night.  Did  you  not  lose  your  wife  then?" 

"Yes,  and  my  baby,  too.  What  was  your 
mother's  name?" 

Drury  was  somewhat  confused  by  this  unex- 
pected question ;  but  he  avoided  it  for  the  time. 

"Judge  McPherson,"  he  asked,  "did  it  ever  oc- 
cur to  you  that  there  might  have  been  a  mistake  in 
the  identification  of  the  babies  that  were  found  on 
the  sand-bar  the  next  morning?" 

"What  do  you  mean?    What  can  you  mean?" 

"Just  this :  there  was  another  couple  on  that 
boat,  named  Patterson.  They  had  a  child  the 
same  age  as  yours,  and  both  children  were  said 
to  look  alike.  The  child  that  was  buried  with 
your  wife  was  dressed  in  a  little  night-robe  such 
as  almost  any  child  would  wear.  You  were  hurt, 
and  easily  took  it  for  granted  that  the  babe  was 


282  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

your  own.  Is  it  not  possible  that  the  other 
couple  lost  their  child  and  found  yours  alive,  and 
claimed  it?" 

"Possible,  my  dear  sir,  but  not  all  probable. 
I  can  see  how  a  scheme  to  present  me  with  an 
heir  at  this  late  day  could  be  worked  out  along 
these  lines ;  but  it  would  take  more  than  a  plau- 
sible story  to  convince  me." 

"I  think  I  have  such  evidence,  Judge.  I  have 
here  a  number  of  things.  Allow  me  to  say  that 
I  am  the  child  that  was  rescued  that  night." 

"The  Patterson  child?  I  remember  them;  and 
I  also  remember  that  Mrs.  Patterson  came  to  the 
funeral,  and  how  she  screamed  when  she  looked 
into  the  casket  and  saw  mother  and  babe  to- 
gether." 

"No  wonder  she  screamed ;  for,  according  to 
her  written  confession,  which  I  have  here,  she 
was  looking  at  her  own  child  instead  of  yours." 

"What  is  that?  She  claims  to  have  substi- 
tuted her  child  for  mine?" 

"No,  she  claims  that  it  was  accident  that  sub- 
stituted, or  exchanged,  the  children,  and,  then, 
she  deliberately  stole  me  from  you." 

"Stole  you !  She  claims  that  you  are  my  child !" 

"That  is  it,  exactly." 

"God  in  heaven,  help  me.  What  is  the  man 
saying !" 

"Hear  me  out,  Judge.  If  what  Mrs.  Patterson 
makes  written  confession  of  is  true,  and  if  her 
dying  words  were  true,  you  are  my  father,  I  am 
your  son  that  has  been  mourned  as  dead  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century." 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  283 

"Give  me  the  confession — the  evidence.  It 
seems  like  a  tale  from  'Alice-in-Wonderland.'  " 

He  took  the  book  from  Drury's  hands,  and 
began  to  read.  Slowly  at  first,  then  with  quick, 
nervous  hands,  he  turned  the  leaves  of  the  record. 
More  than  once,  he  let  the  book  fall  to  the  table 
and  looked  across  at  the  young  doctor.  The 
further  he  read,  the  oftener  he  looked,  and  Drury 
could  see  that  conviction  was  being  borne  in  on 
him  that  the  story  was  true.  As  he  finished  the 
reading,  Drury  handed  over  a  small  package. 
Judge  McPherson  undid  it,  and  there  lay  before 
him  a  dainty  baby-dress. 

"Ah,  I  know  that  dress.  I  watched  Narcissa 
ply  her  needle  many  an  evening  while  she  made 
that.  Oh,  I  am  sure  it  is  all  true!  And  you  are 
my  little  Du  that " 

He  could  say  no  more,  but  walked  around  the 
table,  and  the  two  men  went  into  each  other's 
arms. 

A  moment  later,  a  woman  stood  in  the  door- 
way, exclaiming:  "Stephen,  what  is  the  matter? 
Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  did  not  know  I  was 
intruding." 

"Come  back,  Addie,"  called  the  elder  man. 
"Come  here.  I  want  to  introduce  to  you  my  son; 
Doctor  McPherson ;  my  wife,  son." 

"Your  son!     I  do  not  understand." 

"Neither  could  I,  until  I  read  the  confession 
of  the  woman  who  stole  him  the  day  Narcissa 
was  buried.  It  was  not  my  child  that  was  buried 
with  her;  it  was  the  child  of  a  Mrs.  Patterson, 
and  this  is  my  own  child,  my  son,  come  to  me  a 


284  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

full-fledged   doctor,    and   a   good   one,    I    hope." 

Then,  the  household  was  notified,  and  Drury 
found  himself  surrouned  by  two  sisters  and  three 
brothers.  His  oldest  half-sister  was  a  beautiful 
young  lady  of  about  twenty  summers,  which  must 
have  been  happy  ones,  judging  by  her  sweet  face. 
There  was  a  boy  eighteen,  a  girl  fifteen,  another 
boy  eleven,  and  one  eight. 

Dinner,  which  Mrs.  McPherson  had  come  to 
the  library  to  announce,  was  served,  and  the 
servants  seemed  as  glad  of  the  dramatic  ap- 
pearance of  the  new  son  as  were  any  of  the 
family. 

"You  haven't  told  us,  Drury,  are  you  married?" 
asked  the  Judge,  in  the  midst  of  the  meal. 

"No,  sir;  but  I  here  and  now  give  you  all  an 
invitation  to  my  wedding  to  Miss  Dixie  Miller 
within  a  month." 

"My,  how  sudden!"  exclaimed  Mazie. 

"No,  not  sudden,  Sister.  I  have  wanted  to 
marry  her  for  many  years." 

"And  why  haven't  you?"  asked  the  father. 

"That  is  a  long  story.  It  has  to  do  with  the 
whole  question  of  heredity  and  physical  fitness 
to  marry." 

"I  see.  You  could  not  marry  her  when  you 
thought  yourself  the  child  of  John  Patterson; 
then,  you  would  not  marry  her  until  you  knew 
your  ancestry  was  all  right.  Is  that  it?" 

"Your  powers  of  perception  are  very  keen, 
Father." 

"Well,  I  am  glad  to  tell  you  that  there  never 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  285 

was  cleaner  blood  than  that  which  flows  in  your 
veins,  my  son." 

"Next  to  that  which  establishes  my  relation- 
ship to  this  fine  family,  that  is  the  best  piece  of 
information  I  have  received  for  many  a  day.  I 
could  never  ask  Senator  Miller's  daughter  to  be 
my  wife  without  the  knowledge  that  I  was  of- 
fering to  her  a  clean  hand  and  a  pure  body.  She 
must  never  have  the  trouble,  nor  bring  to  her 
parents  the  sorrow,  caused  by  the  marriage  of 
her  beautiful  twin  sisters  to  men  who  were  unfit 
for  marriage  at  all." 

Then,  he  told  them  of  his  life  and  his  friends ; 
about  his  work,  and  that  of  the  great  man  whose 
daughter  he  was  to  marry ;  of  Tamalpias,  and  its 
Health  Club,  the  principles  of  which  he  had 
helped  to  mold ;  of  Dixie  Miller,  the  beautiful 
girl  who  had  become  a  trained  nurse  because  of 
his  supposed  parentage ;  of  the  two  campaigns, 
and  the  hoped-for  success  of  father  and  son,  who 
were  then  in  the  legislature  fighting  for  an  un- 
selfish revenge  against  the  Monster  that  had 
ruined  the  lives  of  their  loved  ones. 

So  much  was  Judge  McPherson  impressed 
with  his  capable  son  that  he  gave  a  luncheon  in 
his  honor  the  next  evening,  and  invited  a  few  of 
the  city's  best  physicians.  Drury  was  surprised 
and  embarrassed  by  being  told  by  one  of  the  best 
surgeons  in  all  the  South  that  the  work  and 
lectures  of  the  little  company  at  Tamalpias  were 
already  attracting  the  attention  of  educators  and 
doctors  throughout  the  country,  and  it  was  freely 
prophesied  that  the  work  of  this  generation  in  that 


286  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS 

line  was  going  to  accomplish  more  for  the  race  than 
anything  that  had  been  done  during  the  past  five 
hundred  years. 

Drury  found  his  father  an  honored  and  wealthy 
citizen  of  the  city,  and  his  cultured  family  very 
popular  in  the  best  circles  of  society.  For  a  week 
he  was  kept  busy  attending  receptions  and  social 
functions,  and  he  was  proud  of  being  introduced  by 
his  lovely  sister  as  "my  doctor-brother,  whom  we 
have  just  found." 

As  soon  as  he  could  get  away  from  them,  the  first 
afternoon,  he  sent  Dixie  a  telegram,  which  read : 

"News  too  good  to  wire.  Am  writing.  Will  be 
at  home  next  week,  and  will  expect  you  to  keep 
your  promise  right  away. 

"(Signed)      Drury  Scott  McPherson." 

He  wanted  the  whole  family  to  return  with  him 
for  the  wedding  festivities ;  but  it  was  impossible 
for  any  of  them  to  go,  save  his  father  and  his  old- 
est sister,  Mazie.  Judge  McPherson  told  him  of 
his  mother,  and  proposed  to  take  him  to  see  her 
people  on  their  way  West.  Drury  was  overjoyed 
with  the  prospect,  and  could  scarcely  wait  for  the 
journey  to  begin.  They  left  Atlanta  on  Tuesday, 
and  arrived  at  the  City  of  Roses  on  Thursday. 
Judge  McPherson  had  wired  the  Scotts  he  was 
coming,  but  had  not  told  them  of  Drury,  and  the 
party  was  met  at  the  station  by  a  venerable  man, 
whose  flowing  white  hair  and  fine  face  made  one 
think  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  and  by  a  young 
man,  who  was  introduced  as  Dr.  Walter  Scott. 
Drury  was  introduced  simply  as  Dr.  McPherson, 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  287 

and  explanations  were  reserved  for  a  time  when 
the  family  would  be  together. 

The  old  gentleman  proved  to  be  Drury's  grand- 
father, and  the  doctor,  his  uncle.  His  grandfather 
was  a  retired  minister,  and  his  grandmother,  who 
was  still  living,  was  a  dear  old  lady  of  the  old  type, 
which  is  fast  disappearng.  There  were  aunts  and 
cousins  by  the  score ;  for  it  was  a  family  that 
"claimed  kin"  as  far  as  the  least  relationship  could 
be  traced.  He  was  shown  pictures  of  two  ancestors 
that  had  been  governors  and  of  one  that  had  been 
a  major  in  the  war  of  the  sixties. 

A  rare  treat  awaited  him.  His  father  had  shown 
him  photographs  of  his  mother ;  but  her  parents  had 
an  oil  painting  of  her  that  had  been  made  just  be- 
fore her  marriage  to  his  father.  He  stood  before  it 
for  hours,  and  wished  he  could  have  seen  her.  She 
was  so  different  from  Mrs.  Patterson  that  he  knew 
what  he  had  missed  by  her  death.  He  was  aston- 
ished above  measure  when  his  grandfather  led  him 
to  the  painting,  just  before  his  departure,  and  made 
him  a  present  of  it. 

"You  are  taking  your  father  home  to  see  you  mar- 
ried. Take  this  picture,  and  show  it  to  your  bride. 
Tell  her  your  mother  was  one  of  the  fairest  flow- 
ers the  death-angel  ever  plucked  from  earth.  You 
can  see  she  was  beautiful ;  but  she  was  as  pure  and 
good  as  she  was  beautiful." 

"O  Grandfather,"  he  stammered.  "You  embar- 
rass me  by  your  kindness.  I  would  rather  have 
that  picture  than  any  legacy  in  the  world.  I  thank 
you  a  thousand  times,  and  I  know  Dixie  will  be  so 
glad." 


288  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

Dr.  Scott  was  proud  of  his  nephew  and  tried  to 
persuade  him  to  locate  in  The  City  of  Roses,  and 
enter  into  practice  with  him ;  but  Drury  told  him  it 
was  his  ambiton  to  become  a  great  surgeon,  and 
that  he  intended  going  to  Germany  for  a  course  of 
study. 

Promising  to  return  to  see  them  soon,  and  to 
bring  his  bride,  Drury,  with  his  father  and  sister, 
left  them  on  Saturday  and  turned  his  face  toward 
home  and  Dixie. 


JIM    MILLEE'S    GIRLS  289 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

REALIZED  DREAMS. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  death  of  Allie  Miller  and 
the  suicide  of  Maury  Tallman,  Tamalpias  had  had 
only  one  real  sensation.  That  was  when  the  big- 
hotel,  which  had  been  built  to  accommodate  the 
horsemen  and  the  gamblers  that  followed  the  races, 
had  burned,  and  two  of  the  guests  had  lost  their 
lives.  Since  the  troubles  of  the  Miller  family  had 
begun  to  develop,  there  had  been  much  to  disturb 
the  quiet  life  of  the  town.  The  scarlet  fever  and 
diphtheria  epidemics,  John  Patterson's  tragic  death, 
the  campaigns  Jim  Miller  had  made,  and  the  cy- 
clone, following  in  rapid  succession,  had  prepared 
the  inhabitants  for  almost  anything.  However,  the 
return  of  the  young  doctor  they  all  knew  and  loved, 
accompanied  by  his  father  and  sister,  and  the  an- 
nouncement that  he  was  not  the  child  of  the  Pat- 
tersons, but  the  child  of  one  of  the  first  citizens  of 
Georgia,  threw  the  citizens  into  an  excitement  that 
put  a  stop  to  all  work  and  traffic  for  several  days. 
Some  stood  about  and  shook  their  heads,  and  one 
said: 

"You  can  never  know  what  to  expect  these  days. 
I  can  hardly  believe  it  is  so." 

"Pshaw !"  answered  a  neighbor.  "I  ain't  a  bit 
surprised ;  I  allus  did  know  Drury  was  better'n 
them  Pattersons.  He  never  did  look  like  either  one 
of  'em." 

"Well,  I  don't  care  what  name  he  goes  by,"  ob- 
served another ;  "he  is  a  fine  doctor,  and  they  ain't 


290  JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS 

another  un  in  all  this  country  what  could  a'  saved 
my  little  Bob  when  he  had  scarlet  fever.  I  like  him 
just  as  well  with  one  name  as  with  another." 

Old  Rilla  was  staying  with  Jessie  Tallman,  and 
she  could  not  get  over  the  great  news. 

"Now,  Miss  Jessie,"  she  said  again,  "does  I  un- 
derstan'  that  Mis'  Patterson,  she  done  tuk  de  trunk 
an'  de  baby  an'  lit  out  afore  dey  could  catch  her? 
Yessum,  an'  she  lef  her  own  chile  layin'  dar  in  de 
arms  o' dat  lady,  jes' so?  Umph?  An'  he  sho'  miff 
ain't  de  chile  o'  no  drunker,  is  he,  Miss  Jessie?  An' 
dat  gran'  gemmen  is  he  pa !  Lawdy,  but  I  is  glad  ; 
kase,  now  den,  Mjss  Dixie  kin  mahry  him,  kain't 
she,  Miss  Jessie?" 

"Yes,  Rilla,  she  is  going  to  marry  him  Easter 
Sunday — a  week  from  next  Sunday." 

"Yessum.  Ain't  dat  mighty  sudden  like,  Miss 
Jessie  ?" 

"You  must  remember  they  have  been  waiting  to 
get  married  for  six  years,  Rilla." 

"Den,  why  for  didn't  dey?" 

"Because  he  wanted  to  know  that  he  was  the  child 
of  good  parents,  and  fit  to  marry,  first." 

"Fitten?  Dr.  Patterson — no,  I  mean  Dr.  Me 

What  is  it,  Miss  Jessie?" 

"McPherson." 

"Yessum,  McPhersum.  Dr.  McPhersum  ain't 
never  been  anything  but  fitten.  He  ain't  never  run 
'round  lak  other  men.  He's  allus  been  fitten." 

"What  does  'fitten'  mean,  Mama?"  asked  Little 
Jim,  as  he  felt  of  a  mechanical  toy  Drury  had 
brought  him  from  Atlanta. 

"That  is  Rilla's  way  of  saying  'good',  darling." 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  291 

"Well,  she  is  right.  Uncle  Drury  is  good,  isn't 
he,  Mama?" 

Dixie  had  taught  him  to  call  Drury  uncle,  and  he 
always  said  it.  His  teacher  had  succeeded  in  teach- 
ing him  many  things  that  children  of  his  age  did  not 
know.  His  association  with  grown  folks  continu- 
ally had  given  him  a  sagacity  that  was  unusual,  and 
he  wanted  to  know  the  reason  for  everything.  He 
loved  to  go  to  the  cemetery  and  place  flowers  on 
his  father's  grave,  and  he  talked  much  about  the 
time  when  he  would  go  where  Papa  was  and  be  able 
to  see  him. 

The  legislature  was  still  in  session,  and  there  was 
strong  liability  that  the  Governor  would  call  an 
extra  session  immediately.  One  or  two  of  Jim  Mil- 
ler's bills  had  passed,  and  the  others  were  in  fair 
prospect  of  being  enacted  into  law ;  but  it  was 
doubtful  that  the  chief  executive  would  approve  the 
one  that  required  certificates  from  physicians  before 
a  marriage  license  could  be  obtained. 

Senator  Miller  and  Jack  went  home  to  be  at  the 
wedding  on  Easter.  It  was  a  simple  affair  in  the 
church.  Neither  the  bride  or  bridegroom  wanted 
anything  elaborate,  and  their  wishes  were  respected, 
even  to  the  lack  of  excessive  decoration.  Jim  Mil- 
ler gave  away  the  bride,  and  Drury  approached  the 
altar  on  the  arm  of  his  father.  Jack  Miller  and 
Mazie  McPherson  did  the  honors,  and  the  same 
minister  that  had  married  the  twins  took  the  vows. 

Jack  and  Justa  were  tempted  to  move  up  their 
date,  and  embark  on  the  sea  of  matrimony  with 
Drury  and  Dixie;  but  they  decided  to  wait  until 
May-day,  as  they  had  already  planned. 


292  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

There  was  no  happier  man  in  the  Valley  than 
Dr.  McConnell.  He  was  proud  of  his  partner,  and 
he  was  proud  of  Dixie.  He  thought  Judge  McPher- 
son  and  Jim  Miller  the  two  grandest  men  he  had 
ever  met,  and  he  told  them  so.  His  gift  to  the  cou- 
ple was  a  promise  to  have  the  cottage  rebuilt  at  his 
expense,  and  have  it  ready  for  them  on  their  return 
from  Europe. 

Jim  Miller  and  Judge  McPherson  found  a  natu- 
ral affinity  for  each  other  from  the  first,  and  the 
two  families  soon  felt  that  they  had  known  each 
other  always.  Mazie  and  Jessie  were  together 
much,  and  the  former  got  a  vision  of  life  that  she 
had  never  had  before.  She  saw  the  righteousness 
of  the  great  cause  Senator  Miller  was  giving  his 
life  to,  and  she  returned  home  an  advocate  of  his 
high  principles. 

Dixie's  dream  of  touring  the  world  with  Drury 
came  true.  They  left  the  dear  little  town  of  their 
childhood  on  an  April  day,  when  the  whole  earth 
was  full  of  blossoms  and  life,  and  they  sailed  from 
New  York  with  a  merry  party  of  tourists.  It  was 
early  in  the  season,  but  they  wanted  to  spend  some 
time  in  England  and  France  before  going  to  the  far 
East.  Jessie  had  told  Dixie  of  things  to  look  up, 
and  they  sometimes  felt  sad  as  they  stood  where 
Maury  Tallman  had  stood  with  his  bride,  full  of 
hope  and  happiness. 

Then,  they  went  to  Egypt,  and,  on  to  Palestine, 
and  through  Suez  Canal,  to  the  Orient.  It  was  a 
great  trip  for  the  young  people,  who  had  come 
through  so  much  sorrow  and  so  many  disappoint- 
ments. As  they  neared  the  shores  of  their  native 


JIM    MILLER'S     GIRLS  293 

land,  their  hearts  swelled  with  pride  for  the  best 
country  on  the  globe.  It  was  September  when  their 
ship  entered  the  Golden  Gate  and  anchored  in  the 
Bay  of  San  Francisco.  It  was  the  grandest  sight 
they  had  seen.  Nowhere  in  all  the  world  can  one 
find  more  to  excite  wonder  and  admiration;  no- 
where can  one  see  more  at  a  glance:  Oakland  and 
Berkeley  on  the  east,  the  Ferry  Building  and  the 
towers  and  hills  of  'Frisco  on  the  west,  Yerba 
Buena  and  Alcatras  Islands,  like  gems  rising  out  of 
the  Bay;  Mt.  Tamalpias  standing  like  a  guardian 
over  the  way  to  the  sea,  while  boats  and  ships  plow 
the  waters,  and  cargoes  from  Orient  and  Occident 
are  coming  and  going. 

They  visited  the  navy-yard,  at  Mare  Island,  and 
went  to  see  the  wizard,  Burbank,  at  Santa  Rosa; 
through  the  mighty  groves  of  eucalyptus-trees,  up 
to  Mt.  Shasta;  down  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  and 
over  to  Santa  Clara  to  see  the  famous  big  trees ;  to 
the  Yosemite,  and  to  St.  Catalina  Island;  then  to 
Long  Beach,  and  the  orange-groves  that  never  fail. 

"It  is  like  the  king  of  the  feast  who  said  of  the 
wine  Jesus  had  made :  'You  have  reserved  the  best 
until  the  last,' "  observed  Dixie,  as  they  sat  in  the 
Sunken  Gardens,  at  Pasadena. 

"Yes,  I  believe  that  Italian  Prince  was  right  who 
saM  that  Americans  were  fools  to  go  gadding  to 
Europe  simply  for  sightseeing.  He  said  there  was 
nothing  in  Europe  to  compare  with  our  scenery,  and 
I  agree  with  him." 

"I  have  been  thinking  how  dull  it  would  be  un- 
less one  had  some  one  along  to  share  it  with  him. 
I  would  not  want  to  make  the  trip  without  you." 


294  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

"Nor  I  without  you,  Dixie.  But  I  am  longing  to 
get  back  to  our  dear  old  Southland.  How  I  would 
love  to  smell  a  magnolia,  or  a  Cape  jasmine!" 

"You  just  said  that  to  make  me  homesick,  you 
bad  boy.  I  would  like  to  hear  the  band  play  'Dixie' 
once  more,  too." 

"And  you  said  that  in  retaliation!  But  we  shall 
be  at  home  one  week  from  today,  if  nothing  hap- 
pens." 


r     [  JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  295 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

JIM  MILLER'S  REVENGE. 

Again,  the  large  bell  at  Villa  Maria  was  an- 
nouncing early  mass,  and,  again,  the  children  of 
Tamalpias  were  scampering  hither  and  thither 
hunting  Easter  eggs  in  the  dewy  grass.  But  the 
pool  on  Senator  Miller's  ranch  was  as  quiet  as  the 
grave  of  Allie  Miller  when  the  old  negro  nurse, 
Rilla,  entered  the  bath-house  and  sat  down  on 
the  steps.  She  was  as  sentimental  as  she  was 
superstitious,  and  was  now  muttering  to  herself: 

"I'se  lived  mos'  long  enuff,  now,  and  Fse  jes' 
waitin'  fer  de  good  Lawd  to  lemme  come  on 
home.  But  I  had  to  come  down  he-er  once  tno' 
and  see  de  ol'  pool  whar  dem  angel-twins  use  ter 
come  a-bavin'  ebery  mawnin'.  An'  des  think,  it 
war  ten  y'ars  ago  dey  come  home  from  dat  big 
school  back  yander  some'ers,  and  tuk  to  playing 
like  ducks  in  dis  spring.  An'  'en  it  was  nine 
y'ars  ago  dis  bery  mawin'  dat  dey  was  adippin' 
and  aswimm'  in  dat  watah  des  like  watah-fowls. 
Now  whar  is  dey?  Miss  Allie  done  daid,  an'  Miss 
Jessie  de  bes',  lovin'est  widder  in  de  world,  and 
got  dat  li'l  blind  Jim  what  knows  mo'  in  a  minit 
dan  lots  o'  white  chillen  what's  got  two  good 
eyes,  an'  he  aint  got  narry  un.  He's  gwine  to  be 
like  his  big  father  what  kilt  himse'f,  on'y  he's 
gwine  to  hab  too  much  sense  to  kill  hese'f.  So, 
dey's  nobody  lef  ter  swim  in  you,  purty,  cl'ar 
watah,  'cep'  when  dey's  comp'ny  come  from  de 


296  JIM     MILLER'S    GIRLS 

city  to  see  Marse  Miller,  er  when  Marse  Jack 
is  ter  home  ag'in. 

"Des  well  quit  yer  singing',  mister  mockin' 
bird,  lessen  you  go  out  to  de  simitry  an'  sing  in 
de  cedar  what  grows  whar  Miss  Allie's  buried, 
kase  nobody's  gwine  to  hear  you." 

"What's  all  that  you  are  saying,  Aunt  Rilla?'' 

"Who  dat?"  cried  the  old  woman,  leaping 
up.  "  'Fo'  God,  Marse  Jim,  you  done  scart  me 
plum  to  def." 

"I  did  not  know  you  were  here.  I  came  to  look 
at  the  pool  once  more.  I  haven't  seen  it  for  near- 
ly two  years." 

"That's  what  I  come  down  he-er  for  the  same 
thing,  Marse  Jim.  Its  bein'  Easter,  I  jes'  nat'ly 
had  ter  come." 

"It  is  a  pretty  pool." 

"Yes,  sah;  yes,  sahj.but  not  half  as  purty  as  it 
used  to  be  when  y'  all's  baby-twins  used  to  come 
down  he-er  ebery  mawnin'  and  play  about  in  it 
like  fishes." 

Senator  Miller  turned  away  quickly ;  for  that 
was  what  had  brought  him  to  the  spot.  He,  too, 
was  sentimental,  and  had  wandered  out  this  fine 
morning  to  see  the  pool  he  had  built  to  please 
the  twins.  But  he  did  not  want  to  discuss  the 
matter  with  anybody,  not  even  with  his  wife.  He 
was  going  to  take  his  family — wife,  children,  and 
grandchildren — to  the  cemetery  before  going  to 
church.  |They  always  went  there  on  Easter 
morning.  But  he  had  come  on  this  little  stroll 
that  he  might  allow  his  memory  to  turn  to  his 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  297 

child,  on  account  of  whose  death  he  had  fought 
for  revenge. 

He  left  the  old  nurse  at  the  pool  and  went  back 
to  the  house,  Dixie  and  Drury,  with  their  baby 
boy,  Stephen,  and  Jack  and  Justa,  with  their  little 
Corinne,  as  well  as  Jessie  and  Little  Jim,  had  spent 
the  night  with  the  parents.  As  Senator  Miller 
entered  the  hall,  a  childish  voice  cried  out: 

"Hello,  Grandfather!  I  have  been  looking  ev- 
erywhere for  you.  Look  at  my  eggs.  Aren't  they 
pretty?" 

"Yes,  they  are.  A  red  one,  with  two  rabbits  on 
it,  and  two  purple  ones ;  yes,  and  a  yellow  one. 
Where  did  you  find  them,  Little  Jim?" 

"Out  there  behind  the  swing,  where  the  grass 
didn't  get  mowed.  Nobody  showed  me,  either. 
I  thought  they  would  hide  some  of  them  there, 
and  I  waked  up  early  so  I  could  find  them  before 
some  one  else  did." 

"You  are  Grandfather's  fine  boy,  Little  Jim," 
and  the  strong  man  bent  and  took  the  child  into 
his  arms,  and  brown  curls  mixed  with  snow- 
white  locks. 

"Grandfather,"  asked  the  blind  child,  "isn't 
Corrinne  sweet  and  pretty?  I  think  she  is  the 
prettiest  little  girl  in  town,  don't  you?" 

"Yes,  darling,  she  has  pretty  red  cheeks  and 
curly  brown  hair." 

"Yes,  sir,  and  the  sweetest  brown  eyes,  and 
a  dimple,  too.  Did  you  see  her  dimple,  Grand- 
father? It  is  right  there  on  her  left  cheek." 

"Yes,  I  saw  it,  Little  Jim.  Here  she  comes, 
now,  and  there  is  little  Stephen,  trying  to  come 


298  JJM     MILLER'S 

down-stairs  backward,  while  his  mama  holds  his 
dress  to  keep  him  from  falling." 

"I  hear  Uncle  Drury,  too.  Hello,  Uncle  Drury ! 
Come  and  get  me." 

"No,  Papa  det  Ste,  Papa  det  Ste,"  cried  Dixie's 
boy. 

Come  to  'Bampa,'  Stephen,  and  let  Papa  get 
Little  Jim,"  coaxed  the  happy  man  at  the  foot 
of  the  stairs. 

"Aw-wite,  Bampa  det  Ste.  Jack,  det  Tin." 

"Tin  want  fing,  Tin  want  fing,"  cried  the  femi- 
nine mite,  trying  to  open  the  front  door. 

"No,  no,  wait  until  after  breakfast.  Then,  you 
may  all  swing,"  called  Mrs.  Miller,  opening  the 
doors  to  the  dining  room. 

After  breakfast,  Jack  got  out  his  father's  car 
and  drove  the  three  young  women  to  their  sev- 
eral homes  that  they  might  cut  the  flowers  they 
had  grown  for  decorating  the  graves  of  their 
dead.  Jessie's  lawn  was  the  most  beautiful  in 
the  whole  town.  She  had  taken  the  prize  three 
successive  years  in  the  civic  improvement  con- 
tests, and  always  furnished  flowers  for  weddings 
and  funerals.  Justa's  and  Dixie's  lawns  were 
new,  but  they  were  not  barren  by  any  means. 

The  custom,  begun  by  the  Millers,  of  going  to 
the  cemetery  on  Easter  morning,  had  spread  un- 
til many  people  had  adopted  it.  On  this  particu- 
lar morning,  not  less  than  one  hundred  people 
were  there,  and  the  graves  of  strangers  and  of 
non-resident  families  were  favored  by  the  gen- 
erous people  of  Tamalpias. 

When  the  graves  were  covered,  and  the  people 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  299 

had  gathered  at  the  pavilion  in  the  center  of 
the  yard,  Jim  Miller  lifted  his  voice  so  that  all 
could  hear. 

"Friends,"  he  said,  "we  have  come  here  this 
Easter  morning,  according  to  a  most  beautiful 
custom,  to  remember  our  dead,  and  to  place 
upon  their  graves  these  white  lilies,  emblems  of 
the  resurrection.  Death  is  no  respecter  of  per~ 
sons,  and  reaps  from  all  our  homes ;  it  loves  a  shin- 
ing mark,  and  many  of  these  graves  hold  the  bodies 
of  the  sweetest  children,  the  most  beautiful  women, 
and  the  best  men  that  ever  lived.  But  a  bow, 
bright  with  the  promise  of  a  glorious  immor- 
tality, arches  this  sacred  spot,  and  fills  the  fu- 
ture with  the  hope  that  you  and  I  shall  see  our 
dead  again. 

"You,  my  good  friends,  know  why  I  and  mine 
are  here  today.  My  public  life  has  unavoidably 
revealed  my  deep  bereavement,  and  I  have  been 
compelled  to  tell  why  I  have  been  aroused  to 
the  fight  for  the  race.  The  monster  crime  of  our 
boasted  civilization — social  sin — dug  those  two 
graves  yonder,  and  many  more  like  them  on  this 
plot  of  ground.  Seven  years  ago,  I  learned  the 
truth;  since  that  time,  I  have  spared  neither 
time  nor  money,  energy  nor  influence,  that  I 
might  in  some  measure,  avenge  the  wrongs  in- 
flicted on  my  children ;  the  death  of  one  and  the 
widowhood  of  another ;  the  sightless  eyes  of  this 
bright  child,  and  the  aching  heart  of  the  mother 
of  my  children. 

"You  have  helped  me  in  the  fight,  and  you, 
as  much  as  I,  are  the  beneficiaries  of  the  victory 


300  JIM     MILLER'S     GIRLS 

that  has  been  won.  But  the  victory  is  sweet  to 
me,  sweeter  than  I  ever  dreamed  it  would  be. 
Give  me  that  child,  Dr.  McPherson,  and  youi 
sweet  girl,  Jack.  Look  at  these,  my  friends.  I  am 
so  intoxicated  with  the  wine  of  revenge  that  I 
dare  hold  up  these,  my  grandchildren,  and  tell 
you  that  they  have  come  into  the  world  under 
the  conditions  I  have  urged  so  strongly  among 
you.  Thank  God,  there  are  pure  men  and  pure, 
high-minded  boys  in  this  country,  and  on  them 
rests  the  responsibility  of  the  coming  genera- 
tions. 

"Mollie,"  he  said,  turning  to  his  weeping  wife, 
as  he  brushed  the  tears  from  his  own  noble  face. 
"I  am  almost  ready  to  say  that  our  loss  has  been 
great  gain.  We  lost  a  daughter,  but  we  have 
been  able  to  save  a  thousand  women  what  she 
suffered ;  we  have  mourned,  but  now  we  are  com- 
forted. Jessie,  my  daughter,  you  are  avenged. 
Your  sacrifice  has  been  great,  but  your  help  in 
the  work  of  enlightenment  has  been  incalculable. 
Dr.  McConnell,  you  are  a  grand  old  veteran,  and 
will  soon  go  to  your  reward.  You,  too,  have 
paid  toll  to  the  Great  Black  Plague;  but  you 
have  had  your  part  in  this  battle  that  has  eman- 
cipated the  slaves  of  lust.  Soon,  you  will  hear 
the  call:  'Come  up  higher;  you  have  been  faith- 
ful, have  rule  over  much.'  Among  the  younger 
men  here,  no  one  deserves  greater  praise  than 
Dr.  McPherson.  Drury,  my  son,  no  man  ever 
won  his  bride  more  bravely,  and  none  deserved 
the  woman  he  got,  more  than  you  deserve  the 
last  girl  I  had  to  give  away. 


JIM    MILLER'S    GIRLS  301 

"O  friends,  this  hour  pays  a  hundred-fold  for 
all  that  has  gone  before  it.  Let  us  keep  up  the 
fight  until  all  men  shall  be  compelled  to  stay 
entirely  out  of  the  wild  oats  patch,  or  live  in 
it.  Jack,  my  boy,  you  have  kept  your  promise 
so  well;  but  there  is  plenty  to  be  done  yet. 
Never  let  up  as  long  as  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
the  Great  Black  Plague  in  America. 

"It  will  be  fitting  to  have  this  dear  old  minis- 
ter, who  has  seen  more  than  half  the  graves  here 
filled  up,  lead  us  in  prayer  and  pronounce  a 
benediction." 

This  the  reverend  man  did,  and  the  company 
turned  from  the  city  of  the  dead  and  went  out 
among  the  happy  children,  and  to  the  stone 
church,  where  the  music  and  Easter  bonnets 
were  as  exquisite  as  they  were  on  that  first 
day  we  met  Jim  Miller's  girls. 


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